As you read this I’m probably in an airplane over the Atlantic Ocean on my way home from a week in Germany. I am counting the minutes until touchdown. I am probably watching back to back “Chick Flicks”…I don’t know why, but I love to watch a good “Chick Flick” on the airplane.
I’ll read some, pray some, ponder the week ahead, journal some, debrief the past week to see what I learned, who I met, what mistakes I made, and try to gauge my perception of the success of the trip. I do whatever I can to make the plane go faster, which of course only makes it go slower for me. It seems to take forever…
As in most things Todd I am a traveling dichotomy also. I love the days when I am spending time working with people, teaching, fellowshipping, enjoying a good beer or glass of wine, and the wonderful foods from the region I am in. I am treated like Gold. That actually might be an understatement. It is humbling how kind and considerate every one is to me. But when the day is winding down? This is when I just want to be home in my own bed.
I am looking forward to the day when I can transport myself to and from in a matter of minutes a la Star Trek…don’t laugh, a lot of the concepts and far-out ideas of science fiction 50 years ago are becoming realities now..so I’m guessing in the future travel will be very different too!
Remember today’s “far-out” in time becomes a future tomorrow’s “normal” and today’s “normal” in future times becomes “obsolete.”
Ask anyone who travels a lot and they will tell you they wish they could stay home more and ask anyone who stays home a lot and they will tell you they wish they could travel more. I believe this is reflective of most things in life.
That which we do frequently becomes mundane, while that which we wish we could do is romanticized as wonderfully exotic and exciting. When in truth, regardless of where we go WE are the ones who are there. WE take ourselves and our perspective and our attitudes and habits with us everywhere we go. We can enjoy and have great experiences almost anywhere and doing almost anything, if we will just take the time to appreciate and experience, as opposed to wishing we were somewhere else doing something else.
Maybe right about now you are thinking “Okay Todd, take your own advice and experience the airplane…or enjoy the comfy bed you get to sleep in when you are away.” Hey,I never said I was perfect.
But I try hard.
I will probably have some fun stuff to share with you over this week as a result of the trip, so stay tuned.
