How to Survive EAG: San Francisco FOMO

Update (Sept 1, 2022): This post has recently gotten attention again as the result of a post on EA Forum by Scott Alexander, so I want to emphasize that I did not apply to EAG: SF 2022, as I was on a digital sabbatical during the application period. I want to be fair and make it clear that I do not fault EAG organizers for my absence, and I did not feel sad or rejected. In fact, when I was in graduate school last October, I attended EAG: London, and even received funding to be able to attend (cost of EAG ticket + travel), which I am grateful for. I have fond memories from EAG: London, and it has had a positive impact on decisions I have been making with my career. Missing out on events is one of the risks of unplugging for a bit, and I accepted that risk. It was a bummer to miss EA Global, but sitting this one out was on me. Nevertheless, I had a very fun time writing this post and connecting with others online. Okay, back to the original post.

It is July 2022 in San Francisco, and something is in the air. Is it the California fires that are burning right now? No, you realize the sweet fragrance of Huel and Soylent in the air is even more pungent than usual, and the concentration of people wearing matching hoodies has dramatically increased. One twitter scroll later, you're reminded that EA Global is this weekend.

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