Cathrine Wilhelmsen

SQLCruise Mediterranean 2015

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Group photo of all the the participants of SQLCruise Mediterranean 2015.
Happy SQLCruisers!

SQLCruise - Learn. Network. Relax. Grow… Just add water.

I recently attended my first SQLCruise, and trying to summarize a week full of experiences is difficult. Let me skip straight to the important part:

Did I learn anything?
Yes

Was it worth it?
Yes!

Would I attend again?
YES!

🤓😁🥳

Learn

Attendees in a session. Attendees sitting on deck during office hours. Attendees discussing during office hours. Attendees working during a session.

The combination of classroom training, office hours and discussions was great. Technical leads Aaron Bertrand (@AaronBertrand), Andrew Kelly (@GunneyK), Argenis Fernandez (@DBArgenis), Grant Fritchey (@GFritchey) and Stacia Varga (@_StaciaV_) held great presentations, but the real value for me was the discussions during sessions and office hours. Listening to their advice, learning from their experience and hearing how they solved real problems - you just don’t get that kind of personal interaction at other conferences.

Network

Group photo from the tapas tour. Cathrine & Tone. Attendees drinking wine. Argenis & Tone. Cathrine & Brandon. Aaron & Andy. Grant, Neil & Howard.

There was plenty of time to network and have fun as well: A tapas tour, shore excursions, dinners, shows and hanging out on the ship. Some of us traveled alone, some brought their partners, and some brought their entire families. SQLCruise is for everyone! :) Have you ever been to another conference where you have time to get to know all the other attendees? That’s one of the unique things about SQLCruise. It’s not just about 60 minute sessions, it’s about making friends that you can reach out to and support for years to come.

Relax

Overlooking the Amalfi Coast. Sun shining over the Amalfi Coast. Sorrento. Pompeii ruins. Pompeii entrance. Livorno harbor. Looking out from the Livorno harbor. Eze. Inside a church in Eze. View of the Mediterranean Sea from Norwegian Epic. Palma de Mallorca harbor. Yachts in Palma de Mallorca. Sunset on Norwegian Epic. Sunset and Moon on Norwegian Epic.

If your brain starts to melt with all the learning and networking, all you have to do is look around, enjoy the scenery, sit back and breathe. Ok, you will perhaps have to drive and walk and climb a bit to get to the truly jaw-dropping scenery, but trust me - it’s worth it when you get there!

Grow

I learned so many new things that I have already shared with my coworkers. I made new friends and memories that I will remember forever. I explored new countries and visited beautiful cities. It was a truly amazing experience and I hope I will be able to attend SQLCruise again in the future.

A huge thank you to Tim Ford (@sqlagentman) and his wife Amy for all their hard work on making SQLCruise Mediterranean 2015 such a great experience for all of us! Also a huge thank you to the sponsors Redgate (@redgate), SQL Sentry (@SQLSentry), SIOS Tech (@SIOSTech) and TechSmith (@TechSmith).

…Repeat?

Now… who wants to join me for SQLCruise Alaska 2016? 😁

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About the Author

Professional headshot of Cathrine Wilhelmsen.Cathrine Wilhelmsen is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP, international speaker, author, blogger, organizer, and chronic volunteer. She loves data and coding, as well as teaching and sharing knowledge - oh, and sci-fi, gaming, coffee and chocolate 🤓