• Reflections - Travel - Updates

    March Madness: A Whirlwind of Life Events and Achievements

    While some might think of the famous basketball tournament when you hear these words, I found myself in a whirlwind of big life events during my most recent March.  We start this little story at work where the first quarter of the year is a sales promotion meant to bring in new business.  We are on the service side of things, but the people that are selling did not disappoint.  There is always a cutoff time, but the people in the field submit items to us up to the last minute.  Sometimes we will get stuck on creating this large…

  • Reflections - Travel

    Hanging with Dad

    For the second time in a month, I flew into the beautiful Jacksonville airport to be picked up by my parents.  We arrived early, so I enjoyed some calming piano in the main lobby of the airport just outside Security.  It was a good way to get into the right mindset of my vacation.  I then proceeded to the madness that is the pick-up area of the airport.  It didn’t take long for my parents to find me, but it is the least favorite part of travel for me.  After a couple hours of catch-up and planning for the week,…

  • Poetry - Travel

    Cotton Candy of the Sky

    Our metal tube lines up on a runway Anxious engines wait for the call Then roar to life when a deafening sound Bringing us to a speed beyond reason, comprehension Houses in grids tessellate to the horizon We rise, sharply, to the blue sky Clouds hide the ground Fluffy and full, a blanket in all directions The winged craft skips around A child during recess Reaching ever higher towards the Great Unknown Sailing the sea of cotton candy

  • Reflections - Travel

    Chicago 2020 (Trains, No Planes, and Automobiles)

    Note: This trip was taken in February 2020 before COVID was a major issue in the USA. I have been pretty much trapped in my tiny apartment since then. Trains: The last time I had been on a train before this had been more than 15 years ago when I had just started Boy Scouts.  One of our adult advisors worked for the Railroad and was able to get a few of us on board for a special tour.  We walked the length of the train and rode in a fancy sleeper car.  It was an adventure!  About halfway to…

  • Reflections - Travel

    Business or Pleasure (Part 5)

    As I continued my journey of meeting people in real life, I was reminded just how messy life can be for some people.  Even though I am quickly approaching 30 trips around our Sun, I keep my life very simple in many regards.  My introverted personality and my core values based on my Faith keep me pretty well protected from some of the normal drama that enters people’s lives.  I am mostly concerned with what is considered unsafe, as judging others is not my job, especially as a Christian. You cannot change someone’s life habits in a day and sometimes not…