In Retrospect: A Year of Wanderlust, Learning, and Achievement

I asked Bard to rewrite my previous post and I have to say I do like the result. It makes my year so much better!

As the year draws to a close, I find myself reflecting upon the past twelve months, a tapestry of experiences both familiar and novel. Initially, I pondered the swift passage of time, questioning whether I had accomplished anything of note. Yet, as the memories trickled back, I realized that the year had been a whirlwind of events, each one etching itself upon the parchment of my life. 

My travels took me to far-flung corners of the globe, from the ancient streets of Segovia to the bustling markets of Valencia. The highlight of the year, without a doubt, was our spontaneous voyage to Japan, a land of enchantment and cultural vibrancy. The memories of that journey will forever remain etched in my mind, a testament to the power of adventure. 

 My photographic endeavors flourished, with my mobile phone serving as my faithful companion, capturing fleeting moments of beauty and emotion. My Canon 400D and first SLR, a Canon EOS300, also played their part, preserving the essence of each scene. However, it was the collages I created that truly ignited my passion for photography. These intricate assemblages of images, meticulously crafted with my own script, became a visual symphony, each piece complementing the others to create a harmonious whole. 

 My yearning to learn new things persisted throughout the year, fueled by a thirst for knowledge and a desire to expand my horizons. I devoured books, delved into online courses, and even picked up a new skill – table tennis. While my athletic pursuits may not have reached their full potential, my intellectual pursuits flourished. 

 My professional life took an exciting turn, as I assumed the role of Chief Product Owner Digital Business Solutions. This new challenge demanded long hours and unwavering dedication, but the rewards were commensurate. The trips to Derby and Stuttgart were particularly rewarding, allowing me to showcase the innovative products we were developing and receive the plaudits of our colleagues. The icing on the cake was the RR internal Trusted to Deliver Excellence award, a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team. 

 Of course, not everything was perfect. There were moments of frustration, challenges that tested my resolve, and trials that demanded my resilience. But as Michael Ende wisely observed, these are stories for another time, tales that will be recounted in the hushed whispers of reflection. 

 As I bid farewell to 2023 and welcome the dawn of a new year, I do so with a heart filled with gratitude and a spirit brimming with anticipation. The future beckons, a canvas upon which I shall paint my dreams and aspirations. May the coming year be filled with new experiences, challenges to overcome, and triumphs to celebrate. Let us raise a glass to the year that was and the year that is yet to come, for it is in the pursuit of the unknown that our true potential lies.

2023: A year in review

As the year draws to a close I look back and realise there is a lot to be thankful for in 2023. Initially I thought, where did the time go? Did I do anything this year at all? After a while memories started to flow and, well, it turns out 2023 was another busy year full of events worth being remembered. Indeed, having a look at my agenda, there is a lot to remember in 2023.

For one, I visited a lot of places, old and new. Undoubtedly the highlight was our trip to Japan with a last-minute ticket. Such an unforgettable experience! So much so that I wrote a 60-page booklet with the travel diary. However there is much more to it than Japan as we had a great day in Segovia, enjoyed Gandía and Valencia, left Lisbon and New Delhi wishing we had had more time to explore and, last but not least, revisited Madrid, El Toboso and Alhama de Aragón to name a few places. All this traveling left a tally of nice photos, mostly taken with my mobile, some with my Canon 400D and very few on a yet to be developed film roll with my first SLR, a Canon EOS300.

And related to photos, this year I spent some time developing my own script to create collages, a project which is permanently work-in-progress and for which I never seem to find enough time. Although it is also fair to say that it already covers about 90% of my use cases, ie an easy way to create a matrix out of several photos to publish it in my blog. It is difficult to tell what is my best (public) photo of the year with so many contending nice ones. Oddly enough considering the marvelous photos in Japan, maybe the best one is the photo I snapped of a lone jogging woman in Berlin?

This also reminds me that this year I wanted to do more sport, which I didn't. If it counts, I played a lot of table tennis with my son during Summer. Good that soon is the time for New Year resolutions again :-) And while sport may not have been my forte this year, one thing I did reasonably well was to keep a curious attitude while learning new stuff both at work and at home through books and online courses. Growth mindset is not a one off effort.

Work wise, I ended up working way more hours than I intended to in my new role as Chief Product Owner Digital Business Solutions. Mostly fun but one to watch out in 2024. The trips to Derby and Stuttgart were a blast, showing the world what we are doing and getting incredibly encouraging feedback. People just love our product and receiving the RR internal Trusted to Deliver Excellence award was the icing on the cake.

Not everything was great, of course, but as Michael Ende said, that is another story and shall be told another time.

ETSIA

Hace veinticinco años ya de esto. Ese curso finalizamos los estudios 25 alumnas y 116 alumnos.

Una historia feliz en tres palabras

 

Valorando lo que tienes

Esta foto que hice hace unas semanas mientras iba con prisas a un sitio me hace valorar lo que tenemos. He mirado las fotos de hace 25 años, diez días intensos a principios de diciembre de 1998 en los que volví de Cranfield, asistí a la  ceremonia de graduación y me fui a Armilla a empezar la mili. Hoy en día seguramente tendría muchas fotos y vídeos de recuerdo.

Reminiscing

Twenty five years ago today my housemates and other friends in Cranfield threw an unexpected farewell party for me. I was leaving the following day back to Spain since a few days later I was meant to join the Air Force training for my military service (conscription was still a thing). I was in my room getting ready, someone asked me to come down and all of a sudden the house was full of people. Unforgettable.

It´s easy to have nice memories when you are surrounded by great people.