Renewed Passion and Inspiration from the Esri User Conference

Late post, but I needed the week to process everything.

I closed out my third annual Esri User Conference feeling like a new person: energized, inspired, and more passionate about GIS than ever.

For those unfamiliar with the Esri UC, it’s the largest GIS conference in the world, bringing together more than 20,000 geospatial professionals from across the globe. Every year, it feels like a pilgrimage to the mappiest place on Earth.

One of the biggest takeaways for me wasn’t just the new technology updates or technical presentations, it was being surrounded by thousands of people who share the same enthusiasm for using geography, data, and mapping to solve real-world problems.

My mama told me when I was young to find a career that checked three boxes: 1) something you’re good at, 2) something you love doing, and 3) something that you can make a living with. GIS does all three of these criteria, and even more—it is a career that can genuinely make a difference.

GIS has the power to inform better decisions, conserve natural resources, improve communities, respond to disasters, protect wildlife, and tackle challenges that matter. Knowing that the work we do can make a tangible difference is incredibly rewarding.

I genuinely love what I do, and I don’t take that for granted. If you’ve ever talked GIS with me, you’ve probably noticed my enthusiasm. I wear my geo-geek badge with pride. Conferences like this remind me exactly why I chose this profession.

A huge thank you to everyone I had the opportunity to reconnect with and meet for the first time. I always leave the Esri User Conference with new ideas, new friendships, and renewed motivation for the year ahead.

#GIS #EsriUserConference #GeospatialProfessionals #CareerInGIS #GISCommunity