One year at NeoNomads! Eight years as an MVP!

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2020 has been a weird year for me. We sold our house and bought an apartment, moved to a different city in The Netherlands and soon after that, decided to quit my job at the same company for over 18 years. A difficult decision but a necessary one. I planned to take three months off for some travelling and self-reflection and to decide what to do next. And then the pandemic happened…

Yeah, those where some interesting weeks (read: I freaked out a little bit). But very soon I discovered that those worries and self-doubt I had weren't necessary. I am privileged to work in a prosperous country and a work field very much in demand. But I also realized I have something very valuable skills to offer. Very soon my calendar was full with a lot of planned discussions with quite a few companies. I think 20-30 Teams calls in about 5 weeks time. Those discussions really helped me formulate my needs and wants in my work life.

NeoNomads

In the end the best match was with NeoNomads. A small company, just starting out but I knew some of those who already worked there and our interests were very much aligned. I wanted to build something, help the company and others grow while doing interesting work. Work that is appreciated, challenging and something to be proud about.

After one year I can say that it was good decision to join and still very happy I made the jump. Even with all of a lot of other personal stuff and this horrible pandemic, I am in a better place now than I was in January 2020. Luck, privilege, but also hard work and good company. The vaccine in my arm also helps. Thank you science!

MVP renewal

I got renewed as an Microsoft MVP today! It motivates me to continue to share with the tech community. I didn't do the things I hoped I could do in 2020, which makes this renewal feel very weird and a little bit unearned. I intend to contribute more in the upcoming months however. Got some plans in the works 😉

And I hope we can more in person internationally again soon. Things are somewhat looking better here, but the world as a whole is not out of the woods yet. Stay safe, get vaccinated if possible and for those that can consider donating to good causes that help fight this pandemic all over the world.