I said there would be anniversaries, and almost missed a few.

A year ago this week, I had the business meeting of a lifetime.  It was a week in Berlin, Germany for a Nadcap Meeting.  After 10 years as a member, and seven years as a vice-chair, I took over as the Chair of Nadcap Heat Treat Task Group.  Basically, I was placed in charge of the quality direction of the heat treat industry for Aerospace.  Those who held that position before were considered the  most influential in the heat treat industry, and I was ready to take it over.  This week anniversary represents the first and only time I led that meeting.

A year ago as well, I met one of my best friends, nut slinger, and occasional Bear Feed commenter.  She also happens to live in Germany, and when visiting her, I was introduced to Currywurst.  I was jet lagged from flying & riding the train all day but I still somehow found a way to stay awake some 30 hours just because it was just too good of a chat.

But today marks the one year anniversary of a phone call I got.  I was standing outside of a beer garden just down the road from our meeting.  I was half a liter into my liquid starter and was expecting a really good traditional german meal, when I got up to take this call. A few details were shared, some numbers discussed, then with as much of a straight direct tone I could say I said: “Consider me accepting your job offer.”  From that instant my life began changing directions. Of course, at that moment I was still an employee of Cessna, living in Wichita Kansas, and the Chair of the Nadcap Heat Treat Task Group — but with every second that passed from that point on, I was on a path that would eventually lead to me quitting all that I was, and becoming all that I am now.