Although Automattic is a fully distributed company with most people working from home in 197 cities around the world, we think it’s really important to meet in person as well and we bring the entire company together once a year. This year we went to Park City, Utah, and were blessed with amazing weather all week. We were right at the base of a mountain so there were beautiful trails for hikes and runs and gorgeous views no matter what direction you looked.
There were all sorts of activities people did throughout the week from paintball to skydiving to a Magic: The Gathering tournament (I played for the first time in about 15 years) and morning running classes every day at 7 am. I went to a Crossfit class with about 15 colleagues. My body is sore but my heart is happy.
I’m really grateful that I get to work with the people I do, and on the problems that we work on together. It’s far from easy, in fact each year brings new challenges and I make mistakes as often as not, but it is worthwhile and incredibly fulfilling. A few hours ago I gave a closing toast and teared up looking around the room. So many folks that give their passion and dedicate themselves to jobs both large and small, visible and unseen, to help make the web a better place. A web that we want to live in. Here’s a vignette from when we were taking our annual family photo, it’s a goofy and crazy group of incredibly unique individuals that I hope to know and make things with for many decades to come.
The last picture seems to be one giant YMCA session 🙂
(mmmh, forgot that in the USA “YMCA” does mean something. Here in France, YMCA is prevent much only known as the dance to this song’s chorus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS9OO0S5w2k 🙂 ).
It means that here, too. 🙂
@Jen: hence my “only” 🙂 French equivalent of YMCA organization is UCJG — and even that is not an everyday knowledge. Anywaaayzzzz, meant to say: great fun pic! 🙂
Awesome!
(Just a tiny little tech mutter: The post I’ve received in my mailbox had to load a bloated 10MB (27Mpix) picture of the Park City stunning surroundings. Guess that’s some kind of mishap as it loads just fine (resized) here on the website.)
Congratulations! No doubt you are a great group of excellent professionals and good people too. The web world would be a less pleasant place without you.
Hooray!!!
This (esp. the funny little animated gif) made my day. 😀
Next time you will need bigger field and wider lens. BTW loved the GIF. Welcome to the world of motion!
Very cool! I love Park City.
> A few hours ago I gave a closing toast and teared up looking around the room.
Same. And I love so much that you mentioned this in your post.