I did my last student loan payment in August 2017 just before turning 30 a few weeks later. 30 for me had a meaning. I had survived. I had accomplished and did things I enjoyed. It was time to give back to friends and family. I organized my birthday at my uncle who had a property in the south of France.

My goal was to bring all these different people together and have a good time. Friends from university, co-workers from previous jobs turned friends, current co-workers and childhood friends and cousins. It was a big melting pot.

Food and drinks were taken care of by me and I refused any participation. It was my way of saying thank you for being there. Thank you for sharing a part of your life’s journey with me.

I, and everyone else, had a lot of fun. Having good musing, cooking and eating together, sharing drinks and talking until late night. I was happy to mark this time. To add a record of it. It was a personal pivot as well as a professional pivot. Unbeknown to me, many things in the next few months were going to happen.

I had been pushed to be the manager of the storage team but had declined. I only wanted to do engineering. Théotime, a co-worker also joining the storage team, had expressed his desire to be that manager and I had pushed him to ask for it. The position had been granted to him. I remember both of us at the birthday party talking. Not knowing at the time the journey we would share.

After the party ended, after everything was cleaned, after the high speed train trip home, it was time to start building team storage.

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If you have missed it, you can read the previous episode here​

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To pair with :

• Above and Beyond Essential Mix 2011
• Sled Driver: Flying the World's Fastest Jet by Brian shul