--- title: "Happy, Cloudy Holidays!" url: "https://www.bekk.christmas/post/2019/24/happy-cloudy-holidays!" authors: ["Andreas Heim"] published: "2019-12-24" updated: "2024-11-07T13:05:28Z" language: "en-US" type: "article" tags: ["Sky"] --- # Happy, Cloudy Holidays! ## In short Cloud skills can be built by combining free or discounted environments from major providers, hands-on labs that let you practice in real cloud accounts, and conference talks from events like Google Cloud Next, AWS re:Invent, Microsoft Ignite, KubeCon, and HashiConf. The takeaway is that there are many low-friction ways to keep learning and experimenting with cloud technologies. - **For:** Anyone interested in learning more about cloud platforms _AI-generated_ All good things must come to an end, and that is also true for this wonderful adventure called Bekk's Cloud Advent Calendar! We hope you've had a good time following us here, and that you've learnt a thing or two that you didn't know already. If you are in dire need of more reading material, wait, don't navigate away from this page, or actually, do it!N avigate away from this page right now! [We](https://css.christmas/)[actually](https://functional.christmas/)[do](https://java.christmas/)[have](https://javascript.christmas/)[eleven](https://kotlin.christmas/)[other](https://ml.christmas/)[calendars](https://opensource.christmas/)[that](https://product.christmas/)[you](https://react.christmas/)[can](https://security.christmas/)[read](https://ux.christmas/)! That's a total of 288 articles, including this one! Still here? Feel inspired? Want to learn more about how you can leverage the cloud for fun and profit? Look no further! # Steal from the rich! The three largest cloud providers, let's call them the unholy trinity, gives you credits or free tiers. Leverage that and spin up your next hobby project in a new environment! # Get your hands dirty! Reading articles is a good way to learn, but doing things in practice is even better. Luckily there's a myriad of tutorial websites where you can tag along some instructions and do some hands-on work. My favourite is by far Qwiklabs. They have a great collection of hands-on-labs, and they spin up ephemeral accounts in the cloud so you can _actually_ spin up stuff while learning. There's a handful of free stuff, but the real gold is of course behind the paywall. Maybe you can send a little slack message to your nearest leader, and hope that they'll approve a small learning budget in the sake of Christmas spirit? # Binge-watch some conferences! The holidays are perfect for kicking back, grabbing a glass of hot milk (or your poison of choice) and putting on something thrilling, exciting and engaging on the television. Why not replace murder mysteries and holiday movies with some good old conference videos! [Google Cloud Next](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIivdWyY5sqIXvUGVrFuZibCUdKVzEoUw) is a good one. So is [AWS re:Invent](https://reinventvideos.com/). I've also heard that nothing gets you in the right holiday mood as the [Azure Sessions](https://myignite.techcommunity.microsoft.com/session9) from Microsoft Ignite. If that feels a bit general, why not dive deep into Kubernetes and the [KubeCon videos](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvqbFHwN-nwalWPjPUKpvTA)? Or why not watch something from [HashiConf](https://www.hashicorp.com/blog/videos-from-hashiconf-2019-keynotes-and-breakout-sessions/)? It should be enough content here to last you at least until the new year! That sums up this advent, and on behalf of all 21 of the authors behind the Bekk Cloud Advent Calendar 2019, I wish you a happy holiday, and a fabulous new [year](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPrtbm6C9fM)!