Brave New World

1. A long, long time ago, a friend of a friend quit her job at a big name law firm, cashed out her 401(k), divorced her husband, got a tattoo and moved to Guatemala. She said she wanted a new life. The purple highlights I got this afternoon brought unexpected enlightenment; I'm starting to understand how she felt.

2. Vlad says he's seen it coming for a while, but the first sign I remember is Lance telling me in July that numerology-wise, I'm in a 9 year; a good time to prepare for new beginnings. A couple of weeks later I came across Anne's What Rinses You With Happiness post. Around the same time I had a long email exchange with Ramiel about the importance of doing work that's an offering from one's heart.

But it was my cat Sara's sudden illness that finally made me stop and think. While frantically shuttling her between neurologists and radiologists and internal medicine specialists, I realized how little relevance data centers and servers have to my real life. As her condition deteriorated, I decided to take a step back from the Internet infrastructure world - at which point she passed away.

I met Sara 10 years ago, while making the unlikely transition from investment banking into web hosting. So many adventures she's seen me through! As I bid her a sad goodbye, it's time, too, to get ready for what's next.

3. I'm planning to take a few months off to volunteer at the Washington Humane Society,  brush up on Chinese, re-learn Hindi... We all have wish lists that we set aside until we have enough money and more time. But as Anne wrote in another post, experiences are what make us feel rich. And as Sara's so unexpected demise shows, "more time" isn't something to be taken for granted.

I'm sorry this means I won't be blogging about tech stuff any more, or going to any tech conferences. Sorry because of all the friends I've made through these channels, but I hope we'll stay in touch!

4. When I wrote my ice harvest post last week, I felt like I've been going around in circles. I had made the same arguments before, in not very different words. I was disappointed in myself for having nothing new to say. It's time to set sail from Prospero's island; wish me luck!

Comments

[Storagezilla]

You know what; we get that a lot in this industry. I've had friends who've just up and left technology to go do something entirely different.

I think it's the artificiality of it all, it just grinds people down.

Best of luck with your next phase.

[Isabel Wang]

Thanks, Mark!! :)

[Kellie]

Sorry to hear of your loss, but so happy to hear that you're taking care of yourself. Good luck in your next adventure.

[Anne Z.]

I hope your quest brings you rich experiences and broad learning.

Before I got back into tech, I spent a couple months volunteering at a hospice. The experiences I had there stay with me today, reminding me how much of significance lies outside of technology.

I hope you'll be twittering or blogging from time to time so I can stay up with what you're doing.

And I'm so sorry for the loss of Sara; I was thinking about her last night as I pet my dear old doggie Sally.

[stephen o'grady]

terribly sorry for your loss. i could tell you that you gave her a good life, but i suspect that will be little comfort at the moment. time remains the best and most consistent healer.

as for the directional change, your voice - obviously the clearest and most insightful in this space - will be missed, but we'll soldier on in your absence.

it's far more important for you to invest your time in what is fulfilling and makes you happy. time, as emerson reminds us, is one of the only things that once spent, can never be regained.

enjoy yourself, and please do - as anne requested - keep us posted.

[Rajan Sodhi]

Isabel, we haven't yet met but I've been following your blog for a while now. I'm quite sadden to hear about Sara and commend you for the work you've done thus far, and the journey you are taking next. I hope to keep in touch. Good luck, and when you finish brushing up on your Hindi, you can then help me with mine. :)

[Bob Warfield]

Never say never!

Keep a finger on the pulse Isabel, and take a long sabbatical, but never say never. Things change pretty fast in tech. A change of scenery, some rest, and pretty soon the mind is recharged. Take the opportunity to learn something new, but tech-related, and something new and not tech-related. Do it all quietly and on your own schedule.

I won't say good bye, but rather, see you soon!

Best,

BW

[Isabel Wang]

Thanks, everyone! :)

Kellie: I love that shadow of your former self!

Anne: Significance outside of technology is exactly what I'm hoping to find. I had all but forgotten that it's there. Will keep blogging/twittering. Give Sally a hug for me!

Stephen: Thank goodness you're soldiering on, because most of my insights came from RedMonk!

Rajan: We might get a chance to meet yet. Planning a trip to Vancouver soon. Hindi is such a beautiful language, and not as tough as I expected to pick up. I managed to graduate from phrase books about lost luggage to trashy romance novels.

Bob: Not saying never, but need to find perspective. Will keep reading your blog to keep a finger on the pulse!

[Candice Rodriguez]

Isabel, sorry to hear about Sara. I wish you nothing but the best on your new path and I want to thank you for passing on so much great knowledge and insight to all of us in the industry. As BW said - Never say never!

Cheers,
Candice

[Tony]

I saw you speak at Hostingcon 2007. You seemed very sweet and at peace with yourself. Sorry if this seems weird, but I felt compelled to make this comment.

[Kevin Laude]

It's unpleasant that such a negative event had to bring about this kind of change. I'm incredibly sorry for your loss, but excited for your new direction. I hope we can still keep in touch. :)

[Dev Chanchani]

Hey Isabel,

I congratulate you on your journey to find something closer to your heart. I was sorry to hear about the passing of your cat and hope this turning point in your life brings many new adventures, friends and experiences. I hope you find something that inspires you and thank you for all of your articles/feedback/blogs about the hosting industry. You have been around as long as I have and I think that there will be a void left but change is part of life and wishing you all the best.

Dev

[John N]

Good luck with your future endeavors! I hope you continue to blog about non-tech things. Your insights and wisdom on technology will be missed. Your blog (and WHIR blog posts) will remain an invaluable resource to many in the tech world for many years to come.

-John

[David Feinberg]

So sorry to hear about Sara. I wish you the best of luck with your new journey! I'm really going to miss your insight on all the innovative opportunities that lie ahead for our industry. I'm holding my breath just in case you come back with a new, ground breaking, startup :)

- David

[Jack Brandt]

Isabel, I certainly know how you feel. Not only can we become jaded by our industry, burn out and want something different; Life changing events can make us "wake up and smell the coffee," per se. It was only two nights ago, at dinner with my fiancée, looked up from my meal and blurted out, "I want to do something more, to make a difference with my life and my profession. I want to do something that helps someone feel better about who they are."

It was interesting for me to just let something like that drop from my jaw, almost as if it had come from the subconscious. Our industry (if you can really call it that) lives in its own capsule. Outside of it exists this whole world we forget to experience and be part of sometimes.

I know how you are feeling and I wish you the best of luck outside this business. Good luck, lets stay in touch, and I'll keep reading.

-Jack

[Isabel Wang]

Candice: Thank you! :)

Tony: Sorry we didn't get a chance to connect at HostingCon. Feeling more at peace now than I did then.

Kevin: We'll definitely stay in touch. I'm keeping an eye on your SoftLayer evangelism!

Dev: We're old, aren't we?? I'll be rooting for INetU's continued success. Wishing there were an INetU blog :)

John: The tech world evolves so quickly that nothing stays relevant for long. My blog posts from earlier this year already feel like they were written in pre-historic times. Counting on your blog to keep me up to date!

David: Our brief conversation in Chicago was enlightening. You are way more in tune with innovative opportunities than I am. Looking forward to watching them become reality at MediaTemple!

Jack: I'll keep you posted on what I find in the outside world. Maybe I'll see you there! BTW, fiancée?? Remembering you referred to her as your girlfriend when we had dinner in May. Congratulations!!!

[Laura Luedeke]

Hate to hear about Sara...know you cherished her dearly.

Glad to hear you are taking that much needed break…finally! Wish you all the best!

[Isabel Wang]

Thanks, Laura! Say hi to Shay and Jett! :)

[Isaac Garcia]

I loved that you were such a girl and such a geek and such a techie all mixed into one. And I particularly loved your constant references to the late 90s where we all really got our start. ....Back in the days where we all had a b2b marketplace.

I loved your take and will miss your voice.

[Patrick]

Sorry for your loss, hopeful for your adventure and, as always, proud of you.

[Wences]

Best luck for you Isabel! Take perspective, don´t matter what you should do, enjoy and live!!

Mucha suerte!!!

Wences.

[Ditlev Bredahl]

When initially reading your post, my thought was: "Alright, Isabel has lost it" - after reading it again a few times it has occurred to me that you might actually have found "it"

I wish you all the best, and will be looking forward to reading about your future adventures, be it within IT or life with the Washington Humane Society...

Warm regards,

Ditlev

[Jose Santos]

Isabel, I wish you the best and leave you with a quote from one of my favorite books: "It's the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary; only wise men (and women) are able to understand them." From The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

Good luck,
Jose

[David Comay]

I'm very sorry to hear about your cat. From the pictures, I could tell she was a special part of your life (the pictures of her on the lotus furniture remind me that cats themselves are works of art).

I'm also sorry to hear that you're taking time away from blogging - I enjoyed reading your posts but I can certainly understand why you're changing direction. Thanks for reminding us that there really are more important things out there in our lives. It's so easy to lose track of that fact.

[Isabel Wang]

Isaac: Still a girl, a geek and a CentralDesktop fan! But taking a step back from being a techie. Hope you have fun at Office 2.0!

Patrick: Might have to follow your footsteps and do a pan-Asian tour!

Wences: But it does matter what you do! I think you'll find your new venture life-changing. Congratulations again, and good luck!!!

Ditlev: Not lost and not yet found; looking forward to the process of finding :)

Jose: I just finished re-reading the Alchemist!

David: Thank you! Will keep blogging, just not about virtualization, utility computing and such. In addition to my personal need to step back, their widespread adoption seems so inevitable that it feels surreal to keep arguing their importance.

[Polano]

You are like an ice grinder. Creating water from melted ice chips instead of letting it melt on its own. This is a compliment, by the way :) You fast forward to the future with images that often we don't want to see. Thanks for the the enlightenment. Have a break.

[Nick Nelson]

Oddly enough - for the first time, I've been considering a "move". While as you of course know, I travel a lot, bounce around a lot..

A friend of mine's family owns some 500 acres in the Roatan islands. I've seriously considered a life on the beach...

Just have to review the internet quality there as well, I can't really step away like you :)

[Kayla]

I am very sorry to hear about Sara.

I understand all too well, everything you've said. Please continue to write and Twitter. Us Internet geeks can't live without you.

[Ken Lin]

May the force be with you, where ever your journey takes you.

[Ron Dunlap]

The entire Hosting world will miss you Isabel. You have been with us in the Hosting industry as long as anyone and your contributions to the industry have helped to make this part of our lives more enriched. Thank you for giving so much of yourself to us. All of us at Web Host Magazine & Buyer's Guide will miss you greatly. Wherever you go we know you will be a blessing to those lives you touch as you have been to ours.

[Melanie]

Best wishes on a brave and wonderful decision! What a lovely way to honor your lost friend Sara and to expand your life.

[BrookeK]

I am so sorry to hear about Sara.

I wish you the best of luck in finding your new direction. You leaving is definitely a huge loss for us still here in the industry, but you've certainly left a mark on Web hosting for the better. I'm sure we'll continue to see the fruits of your influence for years to come.