On the evening of May 2, 2016, as I slowly made my way down the steps of the Free Library of Philadelphia’s main branch, I paused mid-way to breathe in that crisp spring air. I then let out a sigh of relief.

The scene describes the end of my first proper day as Technical.ly’s brand-new lead reporter for Philadelphia, taking over for beloved tech scribe and former Daily News reporter Juliana Reyes who in turn had become my editor. It was my first full-time staff role since uprooting my life in Venezuela and making a new home in this city.

I’d be short-changing that day if I called it a whirlwind. After a full morning of onboarding in our Old City headquarters, I hopped on a Center City-bound Uber with Christopher Wink for an afternoon of talks and panels with leading stakeholders from the life sciences, all the while taking notes I’d use for an article the following day. And finally, the Mayoral Tech Town Hall, a 45-minute convo between tech founders and Mayor Jim Kenney.

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