365 Project - Day 25

Upon seeing me recently, a friend said "imagine if you were traveling like you were last year!" This time last year, I spent little time at home. I was stationed out of Prague, Czech Republic and covering Central and Eastern Europe as part of a program I had entitled "Project Tiber" (that's what happens when you're working from your Italian holiday!) in which we sent much of our corporate staff out to the field to help progress and close business in the second half of 2013. I was a bit of a nomad. At one point, I paid for my luggage as excess baggage in multiple departure cities because I was away for so long and frequently moving from country to country to country. I couldn't get by with a carry on, single suitcase or daily dry cleaning. I was a piece of work. I'm still unclear as to how I might have managed differently.

One year later, my life is 180 degrees from that madness. One part due to retirement; large part due to my brief sojourn down the garage steps. It was very difficult being away from my family for so long during Project Tiber, but I embraced the people and places to which I traveled. I often joked that I am truly more European than American. Having the opportunity to plant myself in Central and Eastern Europe was a blessing. Business was challenging and traveling rough, but my colleagues and our clients were enjoyable. I found the cultures, while unique, not so unlike ours. For instance, there was the father who shared his story of Santa Claus and his daughter, the driver who spoke of long bike rides on weekends, the mother worried about keeping her teenage son away from drugs, Turkish barbecues, Serbian dinners with live music and everywhere I found light and laughter and love. No, it wasn't easy being away from home, but if I had to be away, this is where I should be.

I have often heard that on average, Americans travel far less than the rest of the world's population. I do not understand the rationale for anyone's hesitation. It is indeed hard to be away from family and business travel is far from glamorous. On the other hand, one misses the beauty and wonder of both the places and the people. You cannot know much without experiencing much, IMHO.

Best wishes!

Today's Photo: "Travel Days"

"To move, to breathe, to fly, to float, to gain all while you give, to roam the roads of lands remote, to travel is to live.” Hans Christian Andersen

"But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don’t take yourself too seriously — take God seriously." Micah 6:8 (MSG)

"And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8 (NIV)