Matthew Roach

2019

Another year goes by… and as I think back on the year there were some ups and downs.

We went on our first “proper” family holiday – We went to Disneyland Paris for 4 days during the summer. Would not of been my first pick, but with two young children it made sense and it was actually very good. It was a very busy and VERY hot 4 days and we didn’t go in the height of summer (thankfully) either. Overall it was an amazing experience, that each of us all had something fun to take away from it.. (Le’ts not mention the birthday cake singing for myself organized by my wife – note for future don’t go on holiday to somewhere like Disneyland over my birthday).

The biggest item of year for me was completing the 3 peaks during the summer, something I’ll not forget for a while. But also something I would recommend to do.

The training for the 3 peaks made up for the limit access I was getting at the gym due to me being little stupid and fracturing my radial head. It didn’t stop the walking too much, putting a backpack on wasn’t very simply, neither is it to do still. I managed to make it 33 years before properly breaking a bone, and for doing something very silly and not needed. There was a fence involved that I didn’t quite manage to fully jump over. The most annoying thing of the whole fracture is I still have limited movement and some pain. Off to see a specialist in early 2020 to see if there is anything that’s able to be done.

At the end of the year I joined The Washington Post, after spending just over 3 years with my previous company a new adventure and change was needed, and having just completed my first month all has been going very well, making good progress and contributing within the team very well I am looking forward to diving in deeper next year and beyond and see what challenges lie ahead.