Weeknote 11/2022
I’m writing this from a hotel room in Amsterdam, on my first overseas trip in two years. This week has largely been a preparation for going away, both physically in terms of packing, but also mentally in terms of preparing myself.
I’m in the Netherlands to present at the Dutch National Library Conference next week, which is taking place in three different cities on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I’m running the same session on each day. I also gave a presentation on Open Badges for FERS in Leeuwarden on Friday. Altogether, I’m going to be away from my kids for eight days, which is the longest I’ve been away from them since 2014, I reckon.
My wife is here with me this weekend, which is great as we love Amsterdam! Another added bonus is that Laura and her husband are driving over from Dresden today to meet us for dinner. The Netherlands is in the same position of coming out of restrictions as the UK was about six weeks ago, so there’s plenty of people still wearing masks, and they’re enforced on public transport.
We had a co-op half day on Monday, in which we talked about a whole range of things. I was suffering from migraines earlier this week and at the end of last, probably in anticipation of this trip, so I decided not to go to the late-night Week 4 session for the Tethix course I’ve been doing. I’ll miss this coming Tuesday as well, so in the end I’ll only do three of the five sssions. That’s a shame, but sometimes life (and health) get in the way.
Otherwise, there’s not that much to report. I’ve been keeping myself reasonably fit, eating nice things here in Amsterdam, enjoying good hotels, and finishing off bits and pieces of work. The world is in a crazy enough state right now to do anything other than just take life as it comes.
Next week I’m travelling to Assen, Eindhoven, and Amersfoort, returning home on Friday. The week after that, I’m working as normal, and then I’m taking the first three weeks of April off work. The first of those, I’m walking Hadrian’s Wall with Aaron, the second the kids are off while Hannah’s not so I might do some DIY with them, and then the third we’re on holiday in Croatia.
Photo of a window at the Design Museum in Amsterdam.
