Nick's WuppBreak Retrospective

I arrived after a long, fast, and exhausting ride from Leipzig. I was nearly broken when I arrived with pain in many places in my body. I had got the point where I could just will my body to cycle just a bit further on the promise of a short rest stop at the next village. "Neuried 1km" turned into all encompassing joy and elation. Which re-confirms my general feeling about the best bit of cycling trips: the end.

Cycling into the garden in the setting sun to be mobbed by a crowd of hugs and fresh water was great. Then, the magical moment, a campfire, but not any campfire. A campfire with a fridge full of cold beer next to it. Wow. I couldn't have designed a better arrival.

The physical environment was a total joy to me the whole time. Most of the world looks a bit shit. Cycling trips are good at not avoiding those bits. It really was like a little garden of eden, a microcosm of a dream world.

I am a bit remote from the core activities in a such a wuppbreak, as I am not so good with lots of people at once. I was definitely under-contributing to shared activities (cooking, dumpster diving, etc), and not entirely happy with that - I often find it very mentally intense to join in with groups. Or maybe I'm just lazy, and you can easily kind of hide with so many people.

Having a piano there was like a dream for me. I really miss one in my life at the moment, it is like a piece of my soul is missing. The non-verbal expression I can get with a piano is very often just what I need. And then not only that, but having people to jam with. I have always been a bit to shy with other musicians, but it was the perfect addition for me.

I continue to be amazed at the ingenuity, enthusiasm, and resourcefulness in food sourcing that yunity people have too. A bountiful feast it was indeed.

I am better individually or with small groups of people, and I had very nice times chatting with @tais, @arno, @birke, @doug, @annao - and more.

It wasn't billed as a work retreat, but I managed to get some significant work done (ok, a lot on a personal project, sorry!), but also some productive steps forward with @matthias (on foodsharing.de), and with @tilmann (on foodsaving tool), I really enjoy working with both of them.

I continue to exist somewhat on the edge of yunity, and I feel happy with the balance I have right now. I don't think I am likely to become more drawn in, as I still have primarily an individual focus in life, based on software, and a little more conservative. I do not always share the wider goals and philosophies of the group, but this is normally true wherever I am. (I don't know what my wider goals or philosophies are much of the time anyway).

As always, a thought provoking, inspiring time, with smart, energetic, free-thinking, and engaging people. The general feeling of positivity and not being held back from all the crap that exists in the world in various forms really shines through to me.

And it is worth thanking everyone who put their energies into making it happen, many people of course, but especially @tilmann and family (some of the energy they put it is spread over many decades to make such a place and family exist).

I am still left with the biggest puzzle of all, how to turn even 10% of this energy into working code :)