A few parting thoughts
Activity here on my site will be light for a while. In a few hours I'm off to Auckland, New Zealand on a Qantas flight. If you need to reach me, drop me a line at my personal e-mail address. From time to time I'm sure to cross an Internet terminal. Send me your physical address if you'd like a postcard.
I'm here in L.A. and the weather is insanely beautiful. I've forgotten what it's like, the smell of a dry summer day, 80 degree weather. It's really the smell that I miss the most, the fresh spring air. I can't remember the last time my nose was this tickled, though I suspect there will be more of that in New Zealand. I'll miss friends and family on my travels, but I won't miss the rain in Seattle, the biting cold in Chicago and Boston and NYC. This time of year I'm all about the Southern hemisphere, and it's amazing how much the warm weather has elevated my spirits and relaxed me body and soul. In fact, I awoke with a head full of ideas today. A small business idea came to mind this morning and I jotted some notes on it this afternoon. Maybe a business plan will accompany me on my flight back.
I'm beginning to acclimate to life outside the office. I've had a form of post-work anxiety this past week, and being in a warm weather climate, away from everything, is helping to ease me into my vacation. The first few days I slept so much I thought I was sick. Maybe my body just needed re-charging. I suspect my mind gave my body leeway to sleep in. When I'm working my body clock just wakes me up at a certain point each day, and that imperative has disappeared. I wonder if people have done studies on this.
I was flipping through my travel books this morning and started getting really excited about all the things to do once I'm there. Everyone I run into is surprised I'm traveling by myself, but really, everyone else is working or in school so it wasn't much of a choice. Once you try it, you realize it's not all that intimidating. And at the end of this trip is another one to Rio with Phil who was a trooper and secured us a great hotel on the beach.
While I was here in L.A., Howie took me to try Fatburger, reputed to be better than In-N-Out, one of my past favorite burger joints. You know what? Fatburger is really good.
Missed most of the Superbowl (it's a really good time to fly, by the way) but I was really surprised at the line (Raiders favored by 4) because their coach of the past several years was on the opposite sideline. Gruden helped engineer and run his opponents and knew them inside out, their tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses. Know thine enemy.
I wish I had more time to get a few photos from Xmas 2002 posted before leaving, but packing and preparing for a trip of this length took a lot more time than I thought it would. Bills to pre-pay, all sorts of services to cancel. Managed to get a few up, though. I also grabbed a book for the road, West With the Night. Rave review from Hemingway. Can't wait to read it.
What a wide world! See you all in a month.
I'm here in L.A. and the weather is insanely beautiful. I've forgotten what it's like, the smell of a dry summer day, 80 degree weather. It's really the smell that I miss the most, the fresh spring air. I can't remember the last time my nose was this tickled, though I suspect there will be more of that in New Zealand. I'll miss friends and family on my travels, but I won't miss the rain in Seattle, the biting cold in Chicago and Boston and NYC. This time of year I'm all about the Southern hemisphere, and it's amazing how much the warm weather has elevated my spirits and relaxed me body and soul. In fact, I awoke with a head full of ideas today. A small business idea came to mind this morning and I jotted some notes on it this afternoon. Maybe a business plan will accompany me on my flight back.
I'm beginning to acclimate to life outside the office. I've had a form of post-work anxiety this past week, and being in a warm weather climate, away from everything, is helping to ease me into my vacation. The first few days I slept so much I thought I was sick. Maybe my body just needed re-charging. I suspect my mind gave my body leeway to sleep in. When I'm working my body clock just wakes me up at a certain point each day, and that imperative has disappeared. I wonder if people have done studies on this.
I was flipping through my travel books this morning and started getting really excited about all the things to do once I'm there. Everyone I run into is surprised I'm traveling by myself, but really, everyone else is working or in school so it wasn't much of a choice. Once you try it, you realize it's not all that intimidating. And at the end of this trip is another one to Rio with Phil who was a trooper and secured us a great hotel on the beach.
While I was here in L.A., Howie took me to try Fatburger, reputed to be better than In-N-Out, one of my past favorite burger joints. You know what? Fatburger is really good.
Missed most of the Superbowl (it's a really good time to fly, by the way) but I was really surprised at the line (Raiders favored by 4) because their coach of the past several years was on the opposite sideline. Gruden helped engineer and run his opponents and knew them inside out, their tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses. Know thine enemy.
I wish I had more time to get a few photos from Xmas 2002 posted before leaving, but packing and preparing for a trip of this length took a lot more time than I thought it would. Bills to pre-pay, all sorts of services to cancel. Managed to get a few up, though. I also grabbed a book for the road, West With the Night. Rave review from Hemingway. Can't wait to read it.
What a wide world! See you all in a month.