Xavier Morera
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Road Warrior

Road Warrior

In April 2002 I flew to New Orleans to speak at a .NET conference, and I have not really stopped getting on planes since.

What follows is not a travel diary. It is a log — every trip I can remember across twenty-four years, kept because I am the kind of person who keeps things, and because somewhere along the way the list stopped being about the places and started being about the work.

Most of it is teaching. Nineteen of these entries are Microsoft Technology Centers — the MTCs, where Microsoft flew in partners and customers to be shown how something actually worked, and where somebody had to stand at the front of the room and show them. Fourteen cities, four continents: London, Copenhagen, Barneveld, Stockholm, Seoul, Bangalore, Paris, Reading, Toronto, Chicago, Boston, Palo Alto, Mountain View, Silicon Valley. Four more are Intel’s Itanium Developer Forums, in New Jersey, Washington, San Diego and Houston. Two are HP’s — their developer forum in Toronto and their headquarters in Mexico City. After that it becomes Solr, Cloudera, Spark Summit, Strata, and a decade of Pluralsight summits in Salt Lake City.

Here is the thing nobody tells you about teaching in a room where nobody knows you, in a country you landed in the night before: you cannot fake it. You have either done the thing you are teaching or you have not, and thirty engineers will work out which one inside of five minutes. Twenty-four years of that is where everything I believe about adult education comes from — and it is why I ended up building a platform to fix it.

The mileage was never the point. But it is the receipt.

158Trips logged
20Countries
24Years
19Microsoft Technology Centers

2002

  • AprilASP.NET Connections Convention in New Orleans, US
  • DecemberSAFECO in Seattle, Seattle WA

2003

  • JanuarySpent over a month in Mexico City, Mexico. Visited the pyramids!
  • JuneTwo conferences @ Miami & Ft Lauderdale user groups in Florida.
  • July.Net Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • JulySkydiving in Miami, Florida
  • SeptemberBaru Volcano in Panama
  • SeptemberMicrosoft Conference in Guadalajara
  • SeptemberMicrosoft Conference in Monterrey, Mexico
  • SeptemberMicrosoft Conference @ Horse Track in Mexico City, Mexico
  • DecemberVB.Net lab @ Building 20 in Microsoft, Redmond. Went snowboarding!

2004

  • JanuaryConsulting in Texas
  • February, March & April3 months in Microsoft, Redmond
  • JulyMS Presentation in Boston
  • August2 weeks in Microsoft
  • SeptemberMS Presentation in San Jose, California
  • SeptemberWeekend @ San Francisco
  • OctoberHP Dev Forum @ Toronto, Canada. Niagara Falls too!
  • DecemberIntel Itanium Developer Forum in New Jersey
  • DecemberWeekend@ New York with Chito!

2005

  • JanuaryOne month in Microsoft, Redmond.
  • MarchMTC in London, UK
  • AprilMTC in Palo Alto, California
  • AprilBuilding 20 @ Microsoft in Redmond
  • AprilMTC in Vedbaek (Kobenhavn), Denmark
  • AprilMTC in Barneveld, Holland. Also visited Amsterdam!
  • MayMTC in Toronto, Canada
  • MayMTC in Stockholm, Sweden
  • MayMTC in Seoul, Korea
  • MayWeekend @ Amsterdam
  • MayMS Presentation in Milan, Italy
  • MayWeekend in Venice, Italy with my great cousin Gracie!
  • JuneMTC in Chicago
  • JuneVacation @ Spain. Visited: Madrid, Barcelona, Toledo, Sevilla, Granada, Cordoba & Almunnecar
  • JuneMTC @ Embassy Golf Links Park in Bangalore, India
  • JulyWeekend in Madrid with Pat, Karlita & Timo!
  • JulyIntel Itanium Developer Forum in Washington DC
  • AugustIntel Itanium Developer Forum in San Diego, California
  • AugustWeekend in San Diego with Scott
  • SeptemberConference @ HP Headquarters in Mexico City, Mexico
  • OctoberIntel Itanium Developer Forum in Houston, Texas
  • NovemberMTC in Mountain View, California
  • NovemberISA Event in San Jose, California
  • DecemberMTC in Silicon Valley, California
  • DecemberMTC in Paris, France

2006

  • JanuaryMTC in Silicon Valley, California
  • FebruaryISA Event @ Heinz-Nixdorf-MuseumsForum in Paderborn, Germany
  • FebruaryMTC @ Embassy Golf Links Park in Bangalore, India
  • FebruaryMTC @ Thames Valley Park in Reading, United Kingdom
  • MarchMTC @ Boston, MA
  • AprilMTC @ Thames Valley Park in Reading, United Kingdom
  • AprilGermany Microsoft Headquarters @ Munich, Germany
  • MayMTC @ Silicon Valley, California
  • MayWork interview in Redmond, WA
  • MayMTC @ Boston, MA
  • MayMicrosoft main campus @ Redmond, WA (the rest of the month)
  • JuneMicrosoft main campus @ Redmond, WA (the rest of the month)
  • JulyMicrosoft main campus @ Redmond, WA (the rest of the month)
  • AugustSnowboarind in Chile. Party in Santiago & Viña del Mar.
  • AugustSeattle, WA (the rest of the month)
  • SeptemberMontpellier, FR (Mediterranean Coast from Cap d’Agde to Aigues-Mortes)
  • SeptemberLondon, UK (Maria’s house!!!!)
  • SeptemberSeattle, WA. Getting ready to come back to Costa Rica. Surprise!

2007

  • AprilSeattle, WA. Another visit to Microsoft
  • AprilNashville Tennessee. Went with a couple of guys from MCS to Deloitte for a Vista training.
  • OctoberRedmond, WA. More Microsoft. This time with Eric Herrera.

2008

  • JanuaryRedmond WA. Stayed at Cali’s.
  • AprilRedmond, WA. Guess what? Microsoft! Stayed at Cali’s place.
  • AugustRedmond, WA. More Microsoft.

2009

  • JanuaryRedmond, WA. More Microsoft. But this time with Irene! and a week vacation!
  • MarchSan Diego, CA. Consulting with Search Tech on a SharePoint project.
  • AprilSan Diego, CA. Additional work with Search Tech on the project.
  • AprilSeattle, WA. Couple of days off. Used an $850 ticket left from my previous job to go and buy me a nice tux for the wedding.
  • JulyArgentina on my honeymoon with my lovely wife Irene! Visited Buenos Aires, Villa La Angostura (near Bariloche) and Iguazu.
  • AugustSan Diego, CA. More SharePoint project, v1.1 sprint planning.
  • OctoberLas Vegas, NV. Presenter @ Microsoft SharePoint Conference 2009 - Search tracks
  • NovemberAlexandria, VA. Meeting at CPA - Feature discussion and review
  • DecemberSandy beaches of the Caribbean with my wife.

2010

  • MarchAlexandria, VA and Washington DC working and then with Irene
  • AprilNew York City with Irene
  • JuneReston, VA on a sprint planning session. Ended up in the hospital because I slipped in the hotel.
  • SeptemberReston, VA for the kickoff
  • OctoberDenver, Colorado meetings with Mark from DealerLogix

2011

  • JanuaryMiami with Irene. On vacation & getting everything for Juliana.
  • MarchCPA / Search Technologies sprint planning meeting in Reston and Alexandria, Virginia.
  • SeptemberVirginia, US. Search Technologies Kick off

2012

  • JanuaryCPA / Search Technologies sprint planning meeting in Reston and Alexandria, Virginia.
  • SeptemberVirginia, US. Search Technologies Kick off

2013

  • JanuaryLondon, UK. Meetings with CPA Global.
  • JuneMiami, Florida.
  • JulyLondon, UK. Meetings with CPA Global.
  • SeptemberVirginia, US. Search Technologies Kick off
  • SeptemberMiami, Florida. Search Technologies Annual Kick Off

2014

  • FebruarySalt Lake City, Utah. Pluralsight's 2nd Author Summit at the Little America. And then snowmobiling in Daniel's Summit.
  • SeptemberSan Jose, California. Presenter at the Atlassian Summit. Collaboration is more than Communication.
  • SeptemberMiami, Florida. Search Technologies Annual Kick Off, where I delivered my Solr for Dummies training.

2015

  • FebruarySalt Lake City, Utah. Pluralsight's 3rd Author Summit at the Grand America. And then snowmobiling in Daniel's Summit, via Park City.
  • March to SeptemberApache Solr & SolrNet engagement in Alpharetta, GA
  • OctoberAlpharetta, GA. Solr engagement.
  • NovemberAlpharetta, GA. Solr engagement.

2016

  • JanuaryAlpharetta, GA. Solr engagement.
  • AprilAlpharetta, GA. Solr engagement.
  • JulyAlpharetta, GA. Solr engagement.
  • AugustAlpharetta, GA. Solr engagement.
  • SeptemberAlpharetta, GA. Solr engagement.
  • NovemberMicrosoft MVP Summit in Redmond
  • NovemberPluralsight Regional Summit in LA
  • DecemberSan Francisco

2017

  • JanuarySan Diego @ Search Technologies
  • JanuaryLA
  • FebruaryAlpharetta, GA. Solr engagement.
  • MarchPalo Alto, Services Enablement Partner Bootcamp @ Cloudera
  • MayAlpharetta, GA. Solr engagement.
  • JuneAlpharetta, GA. Solr engagement.
  • AugustNew York, Spark training @ Cloudera
  • SeptemberSalt Lake City, Pluralsight Author Summit and Pluralsight Live
  • SeptemberWestin Conchal - Training for Accenture / Search Technologies
  • SeptemberNew York, Strata Hadoop
  • OctoberDublin, Spark Summit EU
  • DecemberMiami and Orlando

2018

  • JuneSan Francisco, Spark + AI Summit
  • AugustSalt Lake, Pluralsight Author Summit

2019

  • JanuaryOrlando
  • FebruarySeattle, Cloudera Elevate
  • AprilOrlando, Fl. Pluralsight Author Regional Summit.
  • MayLondon, Pluralsight Europe Author Summit
  • JulyArgentina and Chile, IX X
  • AugustMiami, Banking
  • AugustPluralsight Live and Author Summit
  • SeptemberSan Francisco, Cloudera Search Beta
  • SeptemberWA/NY
  • SeptemberWashington DC - Activate Lucidworks
  • SeptemberNY - Strata Data
  • SeptemberAtlanta
  • NovemberFLL

2020

  • FebruaryAnaheim, Cloudera Elevate
  • March and JuneCovid Trips

2021

  • DecemberMiami

2022

  • JuneSan Franciso and Miami, Pluralsight Link and Banking
  • JuneMiami - Banking Trip
  • JuneSan Francisco, AI Data Summit with Humberto
  • JulyBocas del Toro IX - Riots at Panama
  • DecemberMiami - With Pa

2023

  • AprilNew Orleans - Pluralsight Link 2023
  • JulyOrlando - JJJ Tournament
  • SeptemberSalt Lake City, Pluralsight ELT Meeting for Lupo.ai
  • SeptemberSalt Lake City, Pluralsight Author Summit
  • OctoberVegas (Sphere)

2024

  • MayBogotá, Colombia. Alto Letras.
  • JuneQuepos, Costa Rica. Gaia, Manuel Antonio.
  • OctoberOrlando, FL. Pluralsight Author Summit.
  • NovemberMiami, FL. MIA / Chicago trip.

2025

  • MarchSan Francisco, CA. Pluralsight Connect 25: Silicon Valley.
  • SeptemberMiami, FL.
  • OctoberBuenos Aires, Argentina.
  • NovemberOrlando, FL.
  • NovemberMedellín, Colombia. TH Colombia 2025.

2026

  • MarchNew York, NY. EO Chapter Retreat.

I will continue to add more dates and places as I remember them.

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