Big life update: in October I will be moving to @TUeindhoven as an Assistant Professor in the Dept of Mathematics and Computer Science. I'm extremely excited to join the group and move to the Netherlands! Until then I'll be in Oxford (next 2m), Edinburgh (2.5m) and conferencing.

When you are lecturing the last 4 teaching hours of 2024 it's important to dress appropriately (picture betwixt lecture and tutorial - I promise 70+ students attended!)

Accidentally Nara Smith'd myself: I wanted some mince pies and decided to make my own mincemeat for the first time. Somehow this ended up with me candying my own peel and making my own mixed spice combo. now to wait for it to mature before I start on the pastry 😂

I was in fact so unexcited by the thought of cycling that I took a taxi 😂 spenny, but worth it to get home 11h after setting off rather than 11.5h and without falling in the canal from exhaustion. Now for a short rest before 4h of teaching later this morning. .

Today I left my friends' place in Geneva at 13.45 - it looks like I won't be home before 1am thanks to knock on effects of a Eurostar delay. Not particularly excited to conclude with a 10km bike ride at 12.30 and even less excited to be back on campus to teach at 8.45am tomorrow!.

The delay has crept up to 62 mins, but I am nearly there and this means I get some money back. Currently I'm just looking forward to having a wee rest from travel!.

Which is good because my train left at 6.17am. All was going well until 15 mins ago, when we stopped in a field and had a delay of 45 mins announced. Power was temporarily lost but thankfully restored in time for me to grab a second coffee. Fingers crossed we are on the move soon.

On the rails again, this time for a social trip to Geneva. We started well: 5.15pm train from Eindhoven to Rotterdam, before 20 mins delay on the Eurostar to Paris. My very lovely partner (in Paris for work) had booked a hotel near Gare de Lyon for my onward journey this morning.

Almost 13h after I left the house this morning I am home! Kettle is on for some mint tea and a hot water bottle and I am extremely ready to crash.

Just boarded my final train (number 9 of the day). It's then a 10 min cycle until I am reunited with my bed. Can't wait!.

I'm in NL! Plenty of time to make this connection at Maastricht. I am also seriously starting to flag and only the Conclave memes are getting me through the final hour plus of my journey.

On my second train, which will take me back to NL. My connection was short and pretty confusing but I made it (on a train that starts in Belgium, goes to NL and ends up in Germany!).

And I'm back on the bus to start my return journey home. So far it should be possible to get back home by 20.30, but after this morning's adventures my expectations are low.

I'm in Leuven! I'm so late I'm meeting everyone at the restaurant rather than the department, but this means I will at least get lunch before my talk. I also finished my slides on the bus which is not something I wish to make a regular occurrence (the migraine yday derailed me).

I'm in Belgium! So far only one of my trains has had WiFi which makes working more challenging than it could be. .

On train number 4 of the day and I am still in the Netherlands 😄 this is my second time in a month having difficulties getting to Belgium, I might start taking it personally. This train should get me across the border 🤞🏻 but I'm not holding my breath.

Now I am on a train backwards to Eindhoven to take an alternative (longer) route via Breda. Just what is needed the morning after the worst migraine of my life! Let's hope I make it in time for my talk at 1 (and ideally lunch beforehand).

Today's travel "fun" a return trip to Leuven to give a seminar. My original schedule was 4 trains going via Maastricht. Disembarked my first train to find that the connection next connection is delayed by 15 mins => 1h overall delay because cross border services are hourly.

And I'm back in Eindhoven! I'm planning a full day at work before eventually getting the bus home, which might be overly ambitious 😂 by my count I've taken 18 trains/trams/tubes, 1 ferry, 7 buses since I left home last Tuesday 🚄🚋⛴🚍.

10 mins delayed into Bijlmer ArenA but with enough time for me to make my connection to Eindhoven. All going well I should be in the office by 8am 💪🏻.

We are on the approach to Amsterdam! Due to a change in schedule I'm disembarking at Bijlmer rather than Centraal which tragically means no coffee opportunity until I get to Eindhoven. Thankfully I came prepared with a healthy breakfast of a squashed banana and a kit kat chunky.