For years I was a supportive, albeit passive, participant in our family’s Bitcoin journey. I understood the basics, or at least I thought I did. All of that changed however when my husband and I attended Pacific Bitcoin together.
Bitcoin the concept is one thing; Bitcoin the experience, however, is what ended up converting me. The feeling of excitement and support was infectious. If you have someone you care about who remains intransigent with Bitcoin, bring them to an event. Don’t just tell them; help them see it, help them feel it.
My Pacific Bitcoin Journey
Landing in California was exciting. Our first adventure was going to the Pleb Party. I was incredibly nervous to meet and converse with everyone. I was afraid every conversation would go over my head. The space was overwhelming. I was way out of my comfort zone, I felt awkward and uncomfortable.
We got in line for food and all of the sudden we were introducing ourselves to strangers. Meeting new people who were so kind and interesting. Everyone with a different story of how they found Bitcoin. No longer did I feel uncomfortable and instead I was excited for tomorrow. I wanted to experience more of these people. The Pleb Party was the perfect introduction to the Bitcoin community.
First Day at Pacific Bitcoin
The first day of Pacific Bitcoin, we walked in and didn’t know where to begin. We stumbled into the Swan dome and I instantly recognized the voices my husband had been playing on speaker every morning on Cafe Bitcoin.
We sat and listened. When they were done speaking I was able to meet the people (Alex, Peter, Ant, Tomer, Dom) I’d been hearing in the background every morning while I made my kids breakfast and packed lunch for school. Putting the voices to the faces and meeting the people who have unknowingly been a part of my morning routine learning about Bitcoin, made everything more real.
Walking around the venue and seeing all of the businesses set up at their booths was exciting. Learning about these companies and being able to support them while snacking on some grass-fed beef jerky and fresh mango was *chefs kiss*.
Meeting my husband’s imaginary online Bitcoin friends who actually existed and were also incredibly kind, supportive, and welcoming opened my eyes to an entire new world. I had no idea who I was about to meet in that moment or what they did but that didn’t stop them from speaking to me and educating me.
I met the gentlemen behind the Orange Pill app, Brian and Matteo, and learned we weren’t on the lonely island we thought. We discovered a fellow Bitcoiner only 15 miles away from us.
Meeting these people and hearing them speak was a moving experience. They are all so passionate about Bitcoin and their respective niches in the industry. They are all contributing amazing things to the revolution against fiat. It made me want to do the same.
Women in Bitcoin
In a hugely male-dominated space, it’s hard to not be intimidated. It’s important to me that I have female role models I can look up to and learn from, so it was refreshing to meet Lisa Hough. I didn’t know any women in the space and I’m glad she was the first I met.
She would stop and speak to anyone who wanted to have a conversation with her. Her presence gave off a calming energy in the middle of the chaotic space. She introduced me to many other women in Bitcoin. I learned that there are women meetups, podcasts, and companies in the space. And then I didn’t feel like I was on an impossible journey.
The Bitcoin Veterans
My husband spoke on the Bitcoin Veterans panel which was a powerful discussion from a driven group of Bitcoiners. I had been thinking my husband was a psychopath until I met the Bitcoin veterans—they were all on the same page or even worse than him.
They had an awesome bond and are all on the mission together trying to help veterans find a place in the Bitcoin community. Having been an army wife for the last ten years of my life, it gave me a sense of comfort knowing when my husband gets out of the military he will have these amazing men and this community in his life.
Opportunities to be in the same space as all of these smart individuals who contribute to the space in their own ways was moving. They all had a story worth hearing. Their motivations are all different but everyone wants to help everyone.
They want to teach you if you have questions (sometimes even if you don’t). You could feel the energy in the room; it was contagious. I knew I had to dive in, I had to get on their level. I needed to learn as much as I could so I can try to contribute to this bright orange future.
I’m a Bitcoiner Now!
I’ve always been supportive and on board with Bitcoin but at the same time I felt disconnected from it. It felt like it was my husband’s thing and I was missing something from fully understanding it. I didn’t dive in because I thought as a stay-at-home mom it would be way over my head.
But I was so wrong. I just needed to meet the community. Being immersed in the Bitcoin community, surrounded by all of these psychopaths and talking to them was what I was missing. They filled in the blanks and made me feel excited to jump in. I believe in order to fully orange-pill someone, to get them to understand this movement, they have to feel it. They have to meet the people who make Bitcoin what it is.
