Journeyman: the first month

Summarising the first leg of the journey was initially less than straightforward.

I set out to overcome my own fears of being a one-trick pony, ill-equipped to handle a different job than I've been doing or a different technology stack than I've been using for the past four years.

I set out to have fun and learn new things with people I admire, but not yet had had the chance to work with, widening and deepening my network as I went along.

I set out to be useful to the people hosting me. Providing an outsider's insights to their problems and challenges. Picking up a thing or two here and there, then sharing it at a subsequent tour stop. To have my talents put to the test and to good use.

While all of this proved to hold true, it still doesn't adequately describe my experiences so far. However, parting ways with a friend after lunch last week, I was told to enjoy my upcoming eight weeks of vacation.

Vacation? I've been on vacation for a month now, I replied.

And at that point it dawned on me. The past month hasn't been work as much as it has been play. That's how I best can capture the beginning of my journeyman tour and I have no doubts that the rest of it will follow the same pattern.