I just finished my first day at Microsoft. I did no actual work, met nobody from my new team, have yet to receive my employee badge, and did not even enter the building I will be working in: the entire day was spent in a series of HR presentations. I heard about more internal web sites and company services than I can even remember, much less describe or locate. The group of people Microsoft hired today was larger than the entire staff of all but one of the companies I have ever worked for.

My heart sank a bit when I pulled off the freeway and thought about having to spend so much time on the eastside, but I’m excited enough about the work I’m going to be doing that I am willing to deal with it.

Every now and then I like to travel back in time and have a conversation with my nineteen-year-old self, sitting in his apartment in Munich. It’s amusing to imagine his reaction to this one.