It’s been 11 years and 1 month since I was awarded with official Ubuntu membership. I will never forget that day: as a kid I had to write about myself on IRC, in front of the Community Council members and answer their questions in a language that was not my primary one. I must confess that I was a bit scared that evening, but once I made it, it felt so good. It felt good not just because of the award itself, but rather because that was the recognition that I did something that mattered. I did something useful that other people could benefit from. And for me, that meant a lot.

So much time has passed since then. So many things have changed both in my life and around me, for better or worse. So many that I cannot even enumerate all of them. Nonetheless, deep inside of me, I still feel like that young kid: curious, always ready to experiment, full of hopes and uncertain (but never scared) about the future.

Through the years I received the support of a bunch of people who believed in me, and I thank them all. But if today I feel so hopeful it’s undoubtedly thanks to one person in particular, a person who holds a special place in my life. A big thank you goes to you.