I'm travelling for work for the first time since lockdown started. I'm quite happy working quietly from home, but this is a welcome break from that, especially given the circumstances and context.
I'm travelling to Frankfurt, to work on some SAP TechEd preparations (we're doing another Developer Keynote this year) and I'm going by train. First, it's better for the planet, but second, I enjoy it a whole lot more. Most of all though, I'm going to get to see my son Joseph who's in Duesseldorf. It's been over a year since I saw him last and it will be brilliant to see him and hug him.
I've spent the entirety of my working life in the SAP ecosphere, since leaving University in 1987 and joining Esso in London, where I started to work on a project implementing SAP R/2 4.1. Throughout that working life I've travelled as a consultant, as a contractor, as an employee of customers and of partners, and I can say without hesitation that I've "done enough" travelling, at least for work.
There was one period of around 7 years where I flew at least twice -- sometimes four times -- every week, a practice that took me, as a contractor working for a large consultancy, to SAP customers in Europe and beyond. There was another time, when I was employed as a consultant for an SAP partner, that I more or less commuted between Manchester and Fort Worth, Texas. That was rather extreme, but it still happened.
Before joining SAP as an employee in 2018, most of my working weeks involved travel but by train, within the UK. I enjoyed that immensely, regardless of the pressures I might have been under at the time in relation to whatever project I was involved in. And that enjoyment is still with me, when it comes to train journeys.
So here I am, taking the train from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston, the first main part of my journey. When I arrive in London I'll make my way over to St Pancras station where I'll take the Eurostar to Brussels. That's coming up, and I'm looking forward to that too.
Right, it's now time to walk down the train to pick up a cup of tea. Until next time.
I'm travelling for work for the first time since lockdown started. I'm quite happy working quietly from home, but this is a welcome break from that, especially given the circumstances and context.
I'm travelling to Frankfurt, to work on some SAP TechEd preparations (we're doing another Developer Keynote this year) and I'm going by train. First, it's better for the planet, but second, I enjoy it a whole lot more. Most of all though, I'm going to get to see my son Joseph who's in Duesseldorf. It's been over a year since I saw him last and it will be brilliant to see him and hug him.
I've spent the entirety of my working life in the SAP ecosphere, since leaving University in 1987 and joining Esso in London, where I started to work on a project implementing SAP R/2 4.1. Throughout that working life I've travelled as a consultant, as a contractor, as an employee of customers and of partners, and I can say without hesitation that I've "done enough" travelling, at least for work.
There was one period of around 7 years where I flew at least twice -- sometimes four times -- every week, a practice that took me, as a contractor working for a large consultancy, to SAP customers in Europe and beyond. There was another time, when I was employed as a consultant for an SAP partner, that I more or less commuted between Manchester and Fort Worth, Texas. That was rather extreme, but it still happened.
Before joining SAP as an employee in 2018, most of my working weeks involved travel but by train, within the UK. I enjoyed that immensely, regardless of the pressures I might have been under at the time in relation to whatever project I was involved in. And that enjoyment is still with me, when it comes to train journeys.
So here I am, taking the train from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston, the first main part of my journey. When I arrive in London I'll make my way over to St Pancras station where I'll take the Eurostar to Brussels. That's coming up, and I'm looking forward to that too.
Right, it's now time to walk down the train to pick up a cup of tea. Until next time.