My name is Sven Schirmer. Born in 1975 in the former German Democratic Republic, I grew up in a environment that was perhaps a little too safe and protected =). After 25 years in Germany, my girlfriend and I decided to shake things up. From August 2000 to December 2002, I traded the familiar for the Emerald Isle. The mission? Master English, immerse myself in Irish culture, and level up my professional skills. I started with simple HTML, taught myself JavaScript and PHP, and eventually dove into networking. Before leaving, I proudly earned my Microsoft MCSA certification. Life in Ireland was a world away from Germany—but you’ll have to visit and feel the vibe yourself to understand. For me, it was fun: working, living, and taking occasional mini-adventures around the island.

In January 2003, seeking an escape from the Irish rain, we hopped on a train to Asia. That detour turned into 12 weeks of contemplation on a hilltop on a small Thai island, followed by seven weeks exploring Japan. Eventually, the pull of home (and perhaps some logistical reality) brought me back.

Re-entry was a splash of cold water. My homeland seemed to have lost its illusions, mourning the Euro, inflation, and industries shifting East. Or maybe it was just high-level grumbling? Regardless, with decent jobs scarce, I enrolled in a computer science course locally. It was tough stuff after years away from the classroom, but I loved every minute of it, graduating with top marks after 3.5 years.

The economy was smiling then, so I jumped back into business at Siemens. My first project took me to Amberg, Bavaria, where I developed complex test frameworks for PLCs and collaborated with great colleagues to test new products.

But the travel bug bit again. After memorable trips to India and France in 2009, I quit my job to embark on my first bicycle journey to Japan that August. A highlight? Watching the sunrise over Mount Fuji with friends on my 34th birthday. I cycled for four months, rolling back into Europe just before Christmas.

A few years and a few more journeys later, my new girlfriend and I settled in Switzerland in 2014. Today, I work as a vocational trainer in Programming, Databases, Web Development, and Cloud technologies, with a strong focus on Open Source software. And the irony? I’m now learning exactly how hard it is to motivate students who are just as lazy as I was back then!