Stepping Back and Recharge is important in the fast-paced world of enterprise IT architecture, cloud transformation, and hybrid infrastructure. It still feels like moving backward. For years, my routine has been anchored in consistency: regular blog updates on hartiga.de, weekly LinkedIn newsletters, community meetups, and navigating complex client projects. But growth isn’t just about output, it’s also about knowing when to pause, recalibrate, and shift focus.

Starting October 2026, I am taking a one-year sabbatical.

In this personal update, I want to share why this break is happening, what it means for my content channels, and where my technical curiosity will be heading over the next twelve months.

What Changes (and What Stays)

Stepping Back to Recharge? What does that mean? For the duration of this sabbatical, my primary focus will be entirely on regeneration, traveling, and family.

• Content Slowdown: My blog and LinkedIn newsletter output will noticeably slow down.
• No “Workation” Compromises: We will be embarking on several extended 5-week travel journey. I am a firm believer that a true break cannot happen with a laptop on your knees by a pool. When I travel, I disconnect from enterprise tech to fully experience the world.
• Dedicated Time for Loved Ones: This time is intentionally set aside for new learning, quality time with my wife and our 14 year old dog Nala. If you want to support my wife and are interested in Nala, get her book here.

However, community commitment matters. During this sabbatical year, I will continue to support and run our regional community meetup Azure Infra & Entra ID Süddeutschland and MVPTreff.de Events, keeping me conntected to the local tech community across the south.

Shifting the Tech Focus: From Enterprise Datacenters to Mobile Living

Does Stepping Back to Recharge and away from corporate IT mean ignoring technology entirely? Absolutely not. My passion for engineering hasn’t gone anywhere, it has simply shifted physical scale.

Instead of configuring Active Directory forests or troubleshooting Azure Arc hybrid connectors, my hands-on tech projects for the sabbatical include:

• Modifying our KIA PV5: Diving into practical, hands-on hardware modifications to optimize our vehicle for upcoming adventures. Learn about that here.
• Docker & TREK: Deploying custom Docker containers to run TREK workflows in a completely different kind of mobile environment.
• Web Development: Pouring some code and creative energy into improving our personal travel and story website, pievchen.de.

Closing Thoughts on Stepping Back and Recharge

Taking a sabbatical is a privilege, but it is also a conscious choice to protect long-term creativity, health, and curiosity against burnout. I can only highlight how thankful I am for CGI Deutschland to offer this benefit.

To everyone who reads these articles, follows my posts on Bluesky and LinkedIn, or joins our meetups: thank you for making this community vibrant and engaging. I am looking forward to recharging the batteries, exploring new roads, and returning with fresh perspectives down the line.

Always remember – You are Awesome!

Check out our travel stories and updates at pievchen.de and support my wife’s wonderful children’s book series Nala und ihre Geschichten.

If you have any questions on how and why i am stepping back and recharge, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me on LinkedIn, Bluesky or check my newly created Adaptive Cloud community on Reddit.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreas-hartig/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hartiga.de

Adaptive Cloud community on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/AdaptiveCloud/

My YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@hartiga

Check my sabbatical journey: Pievchen.de