A family matter requires me to fly home. It’s never too early to
practice following my priorities.

When we decide that we want something, we move quickly. My flight has
been booked for this Sunday (the 20th), and I will probably be in the
Philippines for two weeks.

I’ve sent regrets to Mark Evans about not being able to hold the
blogging workshop at Mesh, a high-energy conference for business
people interested in Web 2.0. I will also not be around during Toronto
Technology Week, which is packed with activities. Aside from feeling
sorry about the hassle (although it’s just part of the risk of
organizing conferences), I can leave the scene with a clear mind. I
know they’ll have tons of fun even without me. It might not be the
same, but it will be good. I’m also not too worried about missing out
on a life-changing opportunity or introduction, because the world
overflows with opportunities and with wonderful people.

One of the questions I asked myself was: Which will I regret more? I
may regret the potential conversations I’d have and reputation I’d
gain from being active in Toronto’s technology scene during the week
that it draws people from all around North America, but I would regret
it even more if I postponed my trip and something bad happened—or if
I ended up postponing it and postponing it and postponing it. There
will always be Toronto and speaking at conferences and things like
that, but there might not be that many chances to spend this kind of
time with my family.

And on the flipside, focusing on the positive: I have more
professional opportunities than I can currently pursue, but personal
opportunities are different. =)

I’m estimating this as two weeks away from my thesis (pushing back my
expected date of completion), so any work I actually get to do during
the thing would be a nifty bonus. I’ll deal with the consequences of
this choice, but I’m happier doing this than the other way around.

If you’re in the Philippines, I’m going to be there for two weeks, so
let’s make every moment count!

Random Emacs symbol: dired-backup-diff – Command: Diff this file with its backup file or vice versa.