Merry Christmas

Wishing all a very Merry Christmas!

And so it continues

Ah yes - it continues indeed!

I was to fly in to Pittsburgh this evening so that I could spend Monday on site with the client. But alas - if you haven't checked the weather across various cities in the mid-west and through to the Eastern seaboard (specifically Chicago) you might want to check it out.

I once again find myself in a Chicago hotel looking at an afternoon departure tomorrow. Oh well - only God can control the weather!

So alas - I will relax in my room and make the most of this little delay in my week.

I am a single traveler with carry on luggage and the ability to get a hotel room. There are so many others out there with children, or who can't get to their luggage, or who can't afford a hotel room. And so for this I am blessed.

Good night from Chicago all1

Hiatus

Over these past two years I have noticed how my creative side goes into hibernation if life is stressful. 

When I worked with the interior design firm, my friend, the designer, always commented on how she gravitated towards the color green when she was stressed. Green was her least favorite color. Good thing so many of our clients like green. And trust me, there was a period we did a lot of green color palates. 

To be honest, green is one of my least favorite colors as well. Well other than Rider green of course. And over this last little bit I feel like I have been choosing a lot of green in my life. 

I can't tell you why it has felt extra stressful. Perhaps I am just needing a little vacation. Perhaps I'm looking for something out of life that requires a lot of effort to attain. My family has had a tough season with both pops and mom trying to gain strength. Friends have had challenges and I haven't been there in ways I wish I could be. The seasons have turned to dreaded winter. Traveling for work makes me feel disconnected from everyone. I haven't been able to cook, bake, photograph, explore my desire to paint, enjoy live music, relax at home and many other activities nearly as much as I would like. 

So all that to be said... It's not that I don't still love to write on here. It's not that I won't go through many cycles of heavy writing and then hibernating. So please continue to check back. I know this to shall pass. Sometimes it is just about carving that time out for yourself! And I'm hoping to do a little more of just that.

Maybe they have an online painting course or photography course I can take. Perhaps I can plan just one fun thing a weekend to cook or bake (orange creamy butter rolls perhaps?). Perhaps finding new ways to invest in friends will get us through this time. Perhaps I should write those letters home a little more often. Perhaps....

A traveling man

Well I'm not exactly a traveling man... But I am a traveling. And I'm quite confident I have written a post or two on this topic before but I'm fresh off a variety of experiences so thought I would share again. 

You see I chose a job that I knew was going to take me on the road a lot of weeks. Granted I was somewhat naive in thinking that the the means wouldn't be so bad at all for the ultimate goal that we were after! And many weeks it is okay. But there are those times where I question if the end will even come close to justifying the means. 

I'm sure you are all wondering where I am going with this... So without further adieu let me tell you what the last month of travel has contained:

1. An unexpected overnight in Chicago. 

I was all excited to get home and start my birthday weekend. I booked myself on a dreaded United flight through Chicago and treated myself to a little upgrade at check in hoping that would help. Happy birthday Me! Only to be left sitting at the Chicago gate with lots of time because I never heard them announce my delayed flight was finally ready for boarding. (As an aside, of course I was sure that a flight was going down. Why else would the Lord bring me all this way only to cause me to not hear my flight. I heard every other flight on either side being announced. But alas, the reason as to why that occurred was not due to a plane crash nor was there an apparent providential encounter at the hotel, on the flight the next day or anywhere in between.)

2. Two hour delayed flight when traveling for my company meeting. Sitting on the plane unsure if we were going to beat the storm. Only to have Jimmys flight be delayed the next day - again unsure if he was going to beat the storm. But we made it eventually. I landed at 11:30 pm only to have an alarm ringing at 4:30 am so I could get online with my client on the east coast. 

3. Crazy snow storm in Calgary resulting in a harried drive to the airport, another delayed flight while sitting on the plane watching the air traffic controllers in bellaclavas trying their hardest to get us out all the while avoiding a stuck truck and plane. Hmmmm in any other situation men surrounding the plane wearing full on ski masks would not be normal nor assuring. Gotta love Canada (and maybe Russia?)

4. Ice storm blowing through Dallas and the eastern sea board. Rebooking on a crazy early flight that has me up at 3:30 am trying to beat the storm into Toronto and home to Calgary. Hoping that my Canadian pride will be rewarded by an airport that doesn't need to shut down at the first sign of weather. 

Yes... All of that since Nov 14 and it's only Dec 6. Ugh. I even had a week home for American thanksgiving. Lol. Is it obvious that I'm ready for a real vacation!

So now that I've told you all the down sides, the up side is everyone throughout this past month has been incredibly helpful. Spending hours booking, re-booking and giving me accommodations. Men and women working through terrible weather conditions to get me to and for. Understanding friends and family when I need to rearrange plans. Enjoying the perks of being a frequent flyer with a more comfortable experience in business class. And maybe a couple holiday beverages at Starbucks when the tears are on the verge of falling (or just maybe already were falling... ). 

As I type this I'm hoping Chicago will be good to me today and get me to Toronto. Little Canada I'm coming. I promise!