It’s good to be back home….although home is in rough shape right now. Flooding on the Mississippi river is affecting everyone. Memphis in May (our national barbeque competition) is being moved, homes and businesses that have never been flooded are preparing to evacuate. Maybe we should have stayed on vacation!
The trips were really a great experience for Pat and I. To be lucky enough to have the opportunity to do what we did seriously depletes my balance in the “luck” account……many are not as fortunate as we have been. We realize this and are thankful everyday for the opportunity.
I can’t help it, I always view trips like these as learning experiences where I can pick up more useless trivia…..makes me popular with certain friends that have trivia teams but may not always be useful. Some of the trivia I have picked up?
· Don’t expect a wash cloth in your hotel room in Spain or Italy. I am not sure what they use in place of this bathroom basic, but they get a little huffy when you ask for one.
· All other countries take their evening meal later in the evening than we Americans do. They eat less and take longer to do it making it more of a social occasion……good lesson we can learn.
· Tasmanian Devils are rapidly becoming endangered due to a particularly nasty form of cancer that attacks the face. 80% of the population has died in the last 5 years.
· Crocodiles are lazy…..they won’t get too excited about anything…even if you dangle a dead chicken in front of them (learned that in Thailand where you can feed crocodiles…)
The most common question that I have been asked (after the one “what happened to all of your hair?”….don’t expect anything profound in my blog!) Is “what I liked best about our trips?” These make the short list:
· Fiordland National park on the South Island of New Zealand. We visited on a unique (clear weather) day.
· The Prado museum in Madrid – I rarely spend as much time in a museum as we did here.
· The Sagradas Familias Temple in Barcelona….truly “awe inspiring.”
· The reclining Buddha in Thailand, the Grand Palace in Bangkok.
· The Hong Kong skyline at night.
· Feeding a baby Tiger and riding an Elephant.
· Hanauma Bay on Oahu. Some of the best snorkeling in the world.
At the beginning of this year’s blog I commented on my change in life and how this affected my daily activities. My dad suggested I view each day like a Saturday (still good advice). My sister in law said that she felt completely comfortable when she retired day one….others had similar words of wisdom and experience. For my part, I think we focus singularly on the financial aspects of retirement. What we often do not do is figure out how we will spend our time. I have observed firsthand what happens to those who retire and have nothing to occupy their time.
Co-workers have, at some time or another, asked me how I handle the disconnection from team mates and friends in my business. I found this to be the most difficult. I never really expected to stay away from work permanently but my sabbatical has given me insight into preparation for my “true” retirement.
Pat and I are unsure of our next step which is a little unusual for me. Five years ago, I would have been gnawing the woodwork looking for something to do. Today, I have a more reasonable perspective on life…..another side benefit of my sabbatical.
Who knows what will happen next?
Regards,
Pat and Chris
