2011 was a tough year, but a very good year. Whenever New Year rolls around I inevitably tend to start thinking about where I was and what I was doing at the same point a year ago. Usually I can't believe how much things have changed, and this year is no exception.

This year has been incredibly busy, both personally and professionally, and has been unlike anything previous. There have been some amazing highlights, but it has all come after an awful lot of hard work, and I've learnt a lot of tough lessons about what not to do. I've spent a ridiculous amount of time in planes, trains and automobiles, I've gone 8 months without a proper break, my twitter feed has seen many rants about the M25 and Xbox Live, and I've learned to live with very little sleep. On the positive side I've bought my first home, moved across the country and transitioned out of the office every day, been given some exciting responsibilities at work, I've met and worked with some great people, and I've been able to travel to places and events that I've wanted to go to for ages.

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So here we are - 2011, and starting it with no resolutions as such, but instead a list of things that I think would be good for me, or that I'd like to try. One such thing is starting a proper blog... and sticking to it!

Firstly, on a serious note, the whole blogging thing is actually something I've had to put a lot of thought into in terms of balancing my voice as an individual against that of my employer. It's obviously a fine line to tread - I have a full time job and am proud to be a representative of my company, but at the same time I really want to stress that the views in this blog may not necessarily be shared by my employer. I'm aiming for this to be a personal site, but am aware that my personal tech interests will inevitably cross over into the realms that my day job covers. Where possibly I'll be keeping the distinction very clear.

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