I’ve made it back to Austin. After a four-day drive across CA, AZ and NM and a long stretch across Texas, I am finally back in my little Hyde Park home. Did all that just happen – an amazing year in Palo Alto, studying at one of the top schools in the country with some of the most outstanding, smart and diverse journalists? It seems a bit surreal now, as I unpack and get re-settled.

palo alto… stanford…hoover tower…bikes…sausalito…knight garage…hobbit house…the dish…mountain lions…apple…party house…arbuckle…rodin…backstories…memorial church…the oval…

If there is one thing this year has taught me, it’s that I can pack up my car (and cat) and move across country, leaving my beloved Austin (temporarily), and be completely happy. I can disrupt my life, no matter how complacent or satisfied I am, and it will be for the good. Moments keep coming back to me – from our first meetup as a group, and heading over to the Campus Bike Shop to pick out a rental bike for the year to our last get together at the party house. I will miss seeing these people, the Knight fellows, affiliates, their families and the wonderful staff.

menlo park…ann’s coffee shop…half moon bay…san benito deli…eric’s gourmet…secret safeway…java…rails…javascript…python…design thinking…knight knerds…coding…karel the robot…d.school…tresidder…thanksgiving…buck’s…

I’m sure it will take some time to fully realize the meaning of this year. I know people will ask about it. What was it like? What did you do? What did you make? Who did you meet? It’s a bit of a blur when I try to pull together all the different things that transpired.

sand hill road…silicon valley…facebook…google…circa…storify…netflix…first look…twitter…steve jobs…hacks hackers…ona…knight talks…vc…innovation…atomization…rangoon ruby…tamarine…darbar…university cafe…tava…calafia…foothills park…

I’ve changed a lot. I’m a little more relaxed, in some ways, and a little more focused and intense in others. While I came to the fellowship with an interest in innovation, now I feel an unwavering commitment to driving necessary change and providing students with an innovative mindset and flexible understanding of skills that they will need for the future. The work is just beginning.

san francisco…twitter…golden gate bridge…twin peaks…medium…angel island…sea lions…the fillmore…golden gate park…the haight…the mission…alamo square…internet archive…berkeley…caltrain…bart…giants…

The project I began at Stanford will continue. I’m working on coding tutorials with journalistic examples on a site called CodeActually.com. The foundations are in place, but I still have a lot to consider in terms of format, presentation and resources. I am happy to have a sponsorship from Google and a grant from Online News Association and the Knight Foundation that will support some of these activities going forward.

monterey…aquarium…”cougars”…los angeles…portland…sonoma…wine…quiroga farm…carmel…17-mile drive…oakland…computer history museum…sxsw…ona…isoj…whatsapp…doodle…

Spending a year in a place really gives you an idea of the culture. It’s very different than a visit. I feel pretty in touch with the California coast now, after driving down Highway 1 and taking in the cliffs and ocean views. I have a better sense of the contrast of CA attitudes, the laid back, surfer dude nature versus the intense drive and competition of Silicon Valley.

andreessen…cerf…christensen…david kelley…simon rogers…david wright…vivian schiller…dan sinker…graham…pilhofer…hennessy…condoleezza…schmidt…burt herman…dave cohn…jim brady…mark glaser…mediashift…poynter…gannettt…digital first…cms…platforms…wearables…data…ousterhout…leskovec…sahami…brown institute…

The best thing about the fellowship is the people. They have lived and worked in so many exciting, interesting, dangerous and exotic places. I’m better for knowing all of them. I will cherish the happy hours, brainstorming sessions, meetings, lunches, dinners, trips. The fellowship staff is a rare group of people. They really care about every single fellow, have an interest in our ideas and projects and showed strong support. I have never felt a greater commitment from a group of people, and I know that I can count on them going forward.

chicago…new york…london…austria…germany…afghanistan…pakistan…los angeles…san francisco…venezuela…china…myanmar…australia…austin…new mexico…san diego…toronto…south sudan…madrid…brooklyn…

What else is there to say? I’m sure I am missing some key events, milestones or just little items of specialness. It’s a new beginning, that people don’t often get. The time to reflect, then go back out and act. I hope I do the fellowship justice.

 

friends…fun…good times…memories…future…

Am I happy to be home? Yes. Of course. My house, my friends, my life, my Austin. But this experience will forever be a part of me.