Back in Amsterdam to do some thinking

I’m back in Amsterdam after over a year and half. It feels great to be back in my 2nd (or 3rd) city away from San Francisco. I had a great direct flight that was nearly empty. I got an entire row to myself — one of the perks of traveling during the pandemic.

Unfortunately for me, I botched my jet lag plan by sleeping until 3pm after I landed at 9am. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow for me.

I’m really excited to be back in Amsterdam.

Most importantly, I can’t wait to see my colleagues in person after a year and half. I’ve become close with my teammates over the last few years and it’s going to be really nice to see everyone again. We’ve also hired like crazy out here and I can’t wait to meet the new team members in person. Live just hits different.

I’m also excited to spend a week out here with minimal client calls and more focus on strategic initiatives and planning for the future.

I’m looking at this week as a bit of a workcation. Being 9 hours ahead means I get to skip most of the weekly routine meetings and I’ve blocked off my calendar from client calls. I’ve been stuck in a spiral of deals lately and candidly I need a break. It’ll be good to sit down with the team and brainstorm like we used to when things weren’t so hectic all the time.

I haven’t been this excited for a week of work like this in awhile. I can’t wait to get started tomorrow… I just hope I’ll be able to get some sleep until then.