It's been a little over six weeks since I last logged into SQLServerCentral, but I'm back from my sabbatical. Relaxed, refreshed, charged, and ready for work. And back to work it is, with my sabbatical ending with a trip to the UK for a few days at the Red Gate office and then speaking at SQL Bits. It feels like the start of a race, going from zero to full speed as fast as possible.

I'm ready to come back to work. I enjoyed the time off, and certainly had the chance to view the world in a much different light, interacting with people and projects in a way I haven't done in decades. But I also realized that the SQLServerCentral, and larger SQL Server/#SQLFamily, communities are close and engaging in a way that I don't see in the rest of the world. We have something special in our little technology niche, and I hope all of you appreciate it.

The time off also helped verify something I've thought for a long time: Red Gate is a fantastic company. The highest complement I could pay the is that they run the kind of company I'd want to run if I started another business. Talking with so many people from other industries and companies exposes the contrast in just how much difference a good company makes to a job.

The sabbatical is a nice perk, and one I'd certainly recommend to employers that really care about retaining their employees. I'm not confident many managers will agree, but I'd say that it's just the type of refreshing break that might help you get better work from those you depend on use their minds to grow your business.