Today is the first day of my sabbatical. When I first started at Thoughtworks - back in 2012 - the idea of reaching ten years there, and even qualifying for a sabbatical felt absolutely ridiculous…

… and yet here I am - having survived just over 10 years at Thoughtworks. And this year is when I’ve chosen to activate my sabbatical. I’ve been stuck wondering when to take it, wondering what to do with it etc etc… but this year has seen two rounds of layoffs where I work - and it was made very clear that if you leave, either voluntarily or, er, not quite voluntarily - your sabbatical is NOT paid out.

And that focuses the mind somewhat.

Although the last few weeks running up to this break have rocketed past so fast… and it wasn’t really until today that the enormity of 8 weeks off kicked in.

I have no proper plan for the time off. And don’t want to set myself a load of targets. I want a break, a rest, a change.

I’d like to write more, and want to try to update the blog more often. I’d already started the little bits of Newham series of posts, so perhaps getting a few of those finlshed would be an idea.

Today’s adventure was to pick up my Capital Ring challenge. I spent last night looking at the maps and my phone photos, to work out which sections I’d done and not written about… and really I just have section three and nine (Also technically section 14 but that really is just Hackney Wick and then along the Greenway - a journey I’ve done by bicycle plenty of times. So perhaps I’ll walk it for completeness - but really, it’s been done.

Anyway. Today. Day one. The weather was ok - and so I’ve ventured out to walk section three. Perhaps I’ll write it up, perhaps I won’t. But my goodness, it’s almost 8 miles long - and as I type this up in the pub, my feet ache…

I’m not really on the “socials” much these days - so the blog is where sabbatical adventures (such as they are) will be written up.

So watch this space…