A Grand Adventure

As many of you know, Caitlin and I have been planning to move abroad for quite some time. Over the last two years we’ve visited a lot of the places to which we’ve been considering moving. That only seemed like a sensible plan.

First we considered Portugal; while we both loved the climate, we felt like we’d be making it less affordable for the locals. Next we considered Ireland, absolutely gorgeous (especially when we stayed in a lighthouse) but we both love walking and Ireland has some of the most regressive walking legislation in all of the EU — you literally take your life in your hands walking beside the road there.

As an add on to our visit to Ireland last summer we visited Scotland and absolutely fell in love. You may not know this, but Scotland is even colder, wetter, and drearier than Seattle. What’s not to love? But the UK is a notoriously difficult place to get a work visa.

So we continued our search and ultimately settled on the Netherlands. The Dutch are welcoming2 and they’ll accept Americans (there’s even a Dutch American Friendship Treaty which makes it super easy to become a permanent resident). Of course, to be really integrated one must learn Dutch, but that’s less difficult than learning Hungarian. ◡̈

We even had a Jira board set up for our move to the Netherlands in January, 2025. NERDS!

Then in May, we were in England to give a talk at SwiftCraft. There Caitlin ran into a recruiter from Goodnotes who was staffing their booth. While they were chatting she discovered Goodnotes was looking to hire an iOS Engineering Manager.

One thing led … slowly … to another and just last week I accepted a position as Engineering Manager at Goodnotes. They’ll be sponsoring our work visa for the UK and we’ll be moving to Edinburgh.

Maybe we’ll stay in Edinburgh. Maybe we’ll find another city in Scotland we like better. Who knows. But everything kicks off the beginning of September. I’m so grateful to have a partner beside me like Caitlin. I can’t imagine going on a grand adventure like this with anyone else.

Roche's Point Lighthouse

  1. Have you heard about the Seattle Freeze? Anyone is welcoming … by comparison. ↩

Learning Swift

When Swift was announced in 2014, I was as surprised as anyone. There were only a handful of folks working at Apple who had advanced knowledge of it, but like the rest of the Apple development community we were intensely curious about the new language. After a quick investigation, I decided my work on iTunes … Learning Swift

The 2019 Spring Party

I’d hoped to have a follow up to the 2018 Spring Party after Molly and I returned from our Summer European adventure, but thanks to lingering construction on our deck, the opportunity slipped away. But it’s now time to think of Spring again and that means it’s time to think of parties. Once again you’re … The 2019 Spring Party

Winter Lingers On

Nearly a month ago, I optimistically invited friends to my home to help me welcome Spring. I’d had enough of Winter and was eager for some warmer weather. Because my friends are smartasses, I was careful to set some boundaries: This is not a St. Patrick’s Day party. Do not show up dressed as a … Winter Lingers On

Fuck Off Winter Party

I’d like to invite you, yes you, to come celebrate the end of Winter. Officially, Spring doesn’t start until Tuesday, 20 March, but I’m impatient. I’m going to celebrate a few days early on Friday, 16 March8. This is not a St. Patrick’s Day party. Do not show up dressed as a fucking shamrock or … Fuck Off Winter Party

Christmas in London

I’ve been a fan of Terry Pratchett ever since I picked up a copy of Small Gods at Munro’s book store9 in Victoria, BC back in the late 90s. That was my introduction to the Disc World and I devoured the few books I was able to find in Seattle book stores. I wasn’t going … Christmas in London

Free Workshops in Europe

This Summer I’ll be in Europe from 3 – 15 August and I’d love to host two free workshops for women and other underrepresented groups in our industry. The first workshop teaches how to craft a short presentation (think lightning talk) and the second focuses on presentation skills. If you or someone you know is … Free Workshops in Europe

Paypal is the Worst

Recently, I needed to create a Paypal account to receive a reimbursement payment from a conference in Poland. A wire transfer to my credit union wasn’t an option, because my credit union requires an intermediate transfer for international wire transfers (which is just bananas and why I’ve since re-opened my account at Chase). So, my … Paypal is the Worst

Winter Silence

A lot has happened since the last time I wrote here. Most importantly, My Favourite Person had an opportunity to perform in her first real show, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. This was the first time she had to audition for a part. I’m so proud of her for getting a part in the ensemble. She … Winter Silence

Not My Favourite

As parents, it’s important not to play favourites with our children. That goes for our furry children too. I don’t know whether my cats can actually understand me when I tell them I love them, but it doesn’t matter. Sometimes, I’ll get a little silly and tell Edison he’s my favourite boy cat, or Madeline … Not My Favourite