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+permalink: "/{{ year }}/{{ month }}/{{ day }}/2023-in-many-words-and-some-photos"
+title: "2023 in many words and some photos"
+published_date: "2023-12-31 20:00:00 +0200"
+layout: post.liquid
+data:
+ route: blog
+excerpt: |
+ It has become a tradition for me to look at the year that's about to end.
+ I did so in 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014.
+ Let's look at 2023 now.
+---
+
+It has become a tradition for me to look at the year that's about to end.
+I did so in
+[2022](/2022/12/31/2022-in-many-words/),
+[2021](/2021/12/31/2021-in-many-words/),
+[2020](/2020/12/31/2020-in-many-words/),
+[2019](/2019/12/30/2019-in-many-words/),
+[2018](/2018/12/27/2018-in-many-words/),
+[2017](/2017/12/31/2017-in-many-words/),
+[2016](/2016/12/31/2016-in-many-words/),
+[2015](/2015/12/31/2015-in-many-words/)
+and [2014](/2014/12/29/2014-in-many-words/).
+
+### My year in numbers
+
+I attended 3 conferences this year.
+In April I had some colleagues visit Berlin and together we attended [PyCon DE & PyData Berlin](https://2023.pycon.de/).
+First Python conference for me and overall a nice experience, even if there's no single talk that really stuck with me.
+In October [EuroRust](https://eurorust.eu/) happened in Brussels,
+where I ended up running the Q&A sessions after every talk.
+This forced me to watch (most of) the talks, so that I knew what the speakers were talking about and could ask accordingly.
+In November I accompanied Dominik to [RIPE 87](https://ripe87.ripe.net).
+
+I gave one talk. It was at Rust & Tell Berlin.
+First time I spoke at this local event, even though I've been somewhat involved since it started in 2018.
+I also took over (part of) the organization of that event after Bastian left Berlin in the summer.
+Once Matthias joined as a co-organizer we managed to host one beer garden edition and 2 regular meetups.
+
+I published 7 blog posts this year (including this one).
+I have one draft right now, that I hope to publish in the first week of January (I'm still on vacation and have time).
+For work I wrote 9 proposals, that over the year got accepted & mostly implemented.
+And probably dozens of documents more with notes, ideas and feedback.
+
+I started the year with 5 books read by early March, but then just stopped.
+I have 3 fictional books I started, but still haven't finished (and another 2 or 3 non-fictional ones I want to read).
+
+GitHub says I made 2230 contributions in the past year.
+This includes a bunch of automated commits, as well as work and private stuff.
+The raw numbers here obviously don't reflect all the other stuff I'm involved in.
+
+I stopped posting on Instagram after my Mozambique trip in March (see below for pictures!),
+so there's only 15 pictures from this year.
+I posted a few stories after that still, but otherwise use Instagram only passively now.
+It's full of ads, leans too heavy on stories and videos and it's overall not an enjoyable experience anymore.
+My `~/Pictures/2023` directory contains 2937 photos and videos.
+The majority is from my vacation trips to Norway (in the winter and summer) and Mozambique.
+My Photos library contains another 4345 and videos from 2023. I take most photos with my phone, but there is some overlap with the photos folder on my laptop.
+
+I stopped using Twitter, deleted all my tweets and made my account private.
+I started using my Mastodon account ([@jer@hachyderm.io](https://hachyderm.io/@jer)) for most social media interaction.
+There's now a total of 1532 posts according to my own data, 1779 according to Hachyderm.
+I seem to be missing some data from 2022, so all those 1532 posts in my database are from this year.
+975 of those are in reply to some other post, with 814 in reply to others (and 161 replying to my own posts).
+
+I stopped importing my workout data after it broke last year, so no analysis of that.
+However I switched from jogging on a regular basis to 2-3 Apple Fitness+ workouts a week.
+The app says I did 85 Fitness+ workouts in different categories (HIIT, Core, Strength, Mindful Cooldown).
+Too many excuses led to me not sticking to a regular schedule for more than 4 weeks at a time though, that's room for improvement.
+In the summer I officially became the coach of my handball team, while also being a player ("Spielertrainer"),
+which changed how I train (gotta keep an eye on the others and do less myself),
+however the games became more intense for me (less rest because when I'm on the bench I'm coaching).
+So far I played 6 games out of the 9 we had in the first half of the season and I'm the top scorer of my team somehow.
+
+[datasette]: https://datasette.io/
+
+### My year in photos and words
+
+
+
+The year started the same way it ended:
+watching the Northern Lights dance on the night sky in northern Norway.
+We got back to Germany the second week of January.
+
+
+
+I didn't stay home for too long.
+In mid of February I flew with [Florian](https://hachyderm.io/@skade), [Sibylle](http://blog.discover-botswana.de/) and Marianne to Mozambique.
+The plan was to have a 3 week diving vacation, aiming for 2 dives per day.
+
+
+
+So we didn't waste time and got into the water.
+However that quickly ended when [Very Intense Tropical Cyclone Freddy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclone_Freddy) came rushing in.
+
+
+
+Diving was impossible in these conditions.
+The wind kept us ashore and the constant rain made sure nothing got dry.
+Still we didn't let this ruin our vacation and made the best of it.
+Contrary to previous plans we did start the Rescue Diver training,
+involving a lot of theory and practical training in the pool.
+By the end of our course the weather cleared up enough to finish the training in the ocean.
+Florian and I are now certified Rescue Divers, and who can say to have done that in an active cyclone?
+
+The stay in Mozambique lasted well into March.
+When I got back I finally ordered contact lenses to replace my glasses.
+
+
+
+For Easter in April my whole family visited and later that month colleagues came to Berlin and we attended PyCon DE.
+
+
+
+In May [Flaki](https://flaki.social/@flaki) came to visit and brought [Lumi](https://flaki.social/@lumi/) with him.
+Lumi was so small back then!
+
+
+
+In June I visited home, before in July I took another vacation.
+This time ... Norway!
+By pure coincidence I was in Oslo for Oslo Pride, before heading north to meet my parents for a trip across the Lofoten.
+
+
+
+No sunset means pictures as the one above can be taken at midnight.
+The mix of perfect sunny summer weather and slightly more rainy summer weather, hikes and nature made this another trip to remember.
+
+
+
+
+Berlin got another couple of very hot days that I spent in town, with friends, work and Handball keeping me busy.
+
+
+
+In August I flew over to Montreal, Canada for this year's Mozilla All-Hands.
+Planned were 5 days of hanging out with colleagues, team building and planning future work.
+This was cut short for me as I caught Covid.
+Luckily I was spared any strong symptoms and the days locked in my hotel room went by reasonably fast.
+
+
+
+I was back on my feet, healthy and well, to join colleagues for a bit of vacation in Nova Scotia.
+We got some more hiking done, but due to Covid this was cut short
+and now I have another item on my travel list to come back to.
+
+
+
+September was the month of weddings and anniversaries.
+Started it off with a weekend with my whole family celebrating my parent's wedding anniversary.
+Followed by two different weddings of different friends the weekend after (and my birthday).
+
+
+
+In October I had more time in Berlin, with a brief visit from my nephew.
+
+
+
+Later that month I headed to Brussels for EuroRust.
+Initially planned to be accompanied by Flaki and Lumi, that plan fell through due to Covid, of course.
+So I traveled with Florian instead and met a number of other friends at the conference.
+Back in Berlin, some of my colleagues flew in for a work week.
+After my All-Hands was cut short I still got some social interactions with my team mates after all.
+
+
+
+In November I accompanied Dominik to Rome, where RIPE87 was happening.
+I used that time to soak up some more sun, while Berlin was freezing.
+Really this trip was an excuse to visit Rome and eat a lot of pizza & pasta.
+
+
+
+For Christmas, as usual, I drove home to my parents to have dinner and a bit of a celebration with my family.
+Just after then I headed north-east to Tallinn, Estonia to visit Flaki and Lumi.
+
+
+
+We decided to stay out of town over New Year, to avoid fireworks and the rush of the city.
+Staying at a small apartment directly at the sea, with the temperature dropping below -10ºC in the next days;
+that's my kind of relaxed winter vacation.
+
+
+
+### The Future
+
+2023 is over, so time to plan for a good 2024.
+
+Two vacation trips are already booked.
+Mozambique is under consideration for the year, there's still some diving to do.
+I'm going to be in London for [Rust Nation UK](https://www.rustnationuk.com/),
+and EuroRust is back in October.
+That's two work trips planned already, plus a Mozilla All Hands for sure.
+
+My role at work expanded, but I've also identified a couple of areas in which I want to grow.
+I hope to be able to pick my projects to do just that.
+
+From late January on I will have the second half of my first season as a Handball coach.
+This requires a lot of time and energy from me, to learn how to do that in the first place
+and to plan the training sessions accordingly.
+All while also getting enough exercise for myself.
+It's going to be challenging, but exciting.
+
+Maybe I finally get around looking for another flat.
+I could use something just slightly bigger,
+and definitely a bigger kitchen!
+
+Thanks to everyone who makes my trips so enjoyable,
+to everyone I meet with, speak with, work with, and play with.
+
+
+
+<3
+