Not only was the English game dreadful, but so was that Hanuta with tiramisu-flavored cream. What a disaster!

The European Championship isn’t over yet, but the journey of the Swiss national team has come to a bitter end. A nail-biting penalty shootout dashed our hopes, with Manuel Akanji, who had an otherwise stellar tournament, unfortunately missing the first penalty for Switzerland. The English, historically known for their penalty woes, managed to score all five of theirs.

It wasn’t the most thrilling match in terms of quality, but the few chances Switzerland had were of better quality than England’s. Yet, in the end, it just wasn’t enough.

So, who’s going to take the trophy home? Right now, my emotions are all over the place, and honestly, I’m not sure if I care as much anymore. Spain has been impressive so far, though they were a bit lucky against Germany in the quarter-finals. Based on their performances, a title win wouldn’t be undeserved. We’ll see how it all plays out.

My voice is still a bit raspy from the cold I had. But you know what? It’s actually quite a blessing in disguise—I’m talking less! 😄

The workweek isn’t over yet, but so far, so good. Who knows what Friday has in store? There are always potential pitfalls that could turn things upside down. But I consider myself an optimist.

Next week is going to be packed. I’ve got a lot on my plate: wrapping up the .conf summary, attending a company event, and, of course, the usual daily grind.

But the highlight? On Saturday, I’m off to a Switzerland vs. Italy watch party with my friends. I’m feeling pretty optimistic about the Swiss team’s chances.

Stay tuned for more updates, and fingers crossed for a smooth end to the week for all of us.

So, I’m back in Switzerland. The day before our departure, we hit up Steakhouse Oscars at Fremont with a larger group. Let me tell you, this year’s jet lag was a beast. I only managed to get it under control a day before flying back.

The return flight was pleasant enough, though we flew in Economy Max instead of Business. Sometimes, you just have to roll with it. The plane was packed, a solid 11-hour journey, and we even started with a delay. But hey, at least I wasn’t my colleague who had to deplane after four hours and try again the next day.

So, what do you do on the last day of a trip? Normally, you’d cram in as many sightseeing spots as possible. But this time, everyone was just wiped out. Conferences can be exhausting, despite all the fun. Some people lounged by the pool, others went shopping one last time. I hit the casino for a bit of slot machine action. I was too lazy to focus on anything more intense, and predictably, I lost $150. Easy come, easy go.

Later, we had a few drinks before heading to Fremont as mentioned above. The evening was fun but short. Age is catching up, no more partying until 4 AM.

Before the flight, of course, I watched Switzerland beat Hungary 3-1. Baby!

Next day, at 11 AM, it was airport time. A very funny taxi driver made the ride enjoyable.

Once at the airport, I made a rookie mistake – bought some almonds without checking the price. $16 for a small pack! I think I need to ask for a raise.

Zurich airport was a mess at customs. Long lines everywhere. Swiss and EU citizens got to skip the line, but everyone else was stuck for hours. I can only imagine how chaotic it will be when holiday season kicks in.

Then it was the train ride home. After a quick check-in with colleagues and family, I tackled the usual post-trip routine: unpacking, laundry, catching some Euro 2024 action, and squeezing in a two-hour nap. Before I knew it, Sunday was over.

So, this wraps up my adventure. Now, it’s back to reality, but with some great memories and a slightly lighter wallet. Until the next trip!

After 11 hours and 30 minutes of flying and stepping into the 40°C Las Vegas heat, I finally arrived. The flight was great, courtesy of Edelweiss’s stellar service. The only hiccup? The landing was a bit like hitting a speed bump at full throttle.

First Stop: The Venetian Hotel

Upon arrival, I beelined to the Venetian Hotel, with my room in the Palazzo. Check-in was smooth, except they promised to text me when the room was ready. Spoiler alert: that text never came. After two hours of twiddling my thumbs, I went back to the reception, and voilà, room keys in hand.

Thankfully, Markus got his room in the Venetian immediately, so I could stash my luggage in his room while I sorted things out.

The First Day’s Dilemma: To Sleep or Not to Sleep

The real challenge on the first day is figuring out when to sleep. I left at 10 AM Swiss time and landed at 1 PM Vegas time (a 9-hour difference). Jet lag is real, folks.

First Meal: In-N-Out Burger

To kick things off, I headed straight to In-N-Out Burger for a Double Cheese. Always a winner. Though I have a soft spot for Shake Shack in Vegas too, it’s a bit of a trek from the hotel. Still, I’ll make the pilgrimage.

Evening at The Linq

In the evening, I hit the bar at The Linq and met up with Oli from Cribl and Mika. As always, it was an absolute hoot. We then moved on for some finger food with Florian (Flo), and Jaco.

Nightcap: Gilley’s Saloon, Dance Hall & Bar-B-Que

We capped off the night with a visit to Gilley’s Saloon, Dance Hall & Bar-B-Que for a well-deserved “after-work” beer. By 11 PM, it was time to hit the sack.

Today, I embarked on a grand adventure to our headquarters in Arbon. With the sun shining brightly, it felt like I was on a beach vacation at Lake Constance. The scenery was so beautiful, I half-expected to see dolphins flipping around in the water.

The only downside? It took me five hours to get there and back. By the time I arrived, I felt like I’d traveled through all of Switzerland, stopping at every cheese factory along the way.

Photo from the Kornhaus Bridge with a view of Bern’s old town.

Master of my own data and ruler of my services. And I still believe it’s the way to go.

But lately, I’ve found myself outsourcing more and more of my services. It started with emails, then DNS, and now even blogs. Why? I couldn’t tell you exactly. I had no issues running things myself. Low maintenance, you know. But somehow, the thought crept in that maybe it’s becoming more of a hassle. Things get trickier on the web when you’re not playing in the big leagues. Although, finding a real person to talk to at those big companies is like trying to summon the IT administrator when Windows throws a tantrum. Except, well, you’re the IT guy.

Maybe it’s just the feeling that my time is more valuable now that I’m getting older. Perhaps shelling out $10 here and $5 there for a service isn’t such a bad idea after all. Plus, there’s the convenience factor. Photos magically syncing to iCloud, emails handled by ProtonMail, web security via Cloudflare. And let’s not forget about staying incognito with ProtonVPN, TailScale, or Netbird.

In the old days, it was all about running your own servers. But times are changing, my friends. Yet, it’s merely a snapshot of the current zeitgeist. Who knows what the future holds?

Instagram has been bombarding me with Dalgona Coffee posts, so I thought, why not give it a try? It turned out pretty good! While it was a fun experiment and definitely worth adding to my repertoire, I’ll stick to my daily dose of espresso or plain black coffee for regular enjoyment.