Where in the World?

I’m back in the U.S. after a week long trip to Finland and Germany. The flight home today was about 10 hours. I was beginning to get a little stir crazy in the cramped economy seat. I usually like to get up and walk around for few minutes several times during a long trip. I make sure I have plenty to do; book to read, games to play, my laptop, watch a movie and etc. Sometimes I even sleep. Usually not for long though.

I definitely love to travel, but I also really love to come home. It is such a great feeling to get back into your own personal space. You know the feeling after you’ve had your shoes on all day. You get home, take off the shoes and your feet just start smiling. There’s just something about that. It really feels great. Well, that’s what it feels like for me to come home. I can relax. I feel a sense of freedom and security.

I think one of the best things about coming home is sleeping in your own bed. That’s a really fantastic feeling! Sometimes I wonder if I travel so much just so I can enjoy coming home. Probably not, but you get my point.

People that know me really well are surprised when they hear how much I travel because they know how much I like “home.” What I’ve learned to do over the years is make sure that home is where I am at the time. So, I usually bring a few extra things with me to make the hotel feel a little more like home. It’s a good temporary solution until I really get back home.

Have a great day!

Michael

One of my favorite things to do is try different foods and go to new restaurants. It brings out the explorer/adventurer in me. Sometimes I will try new places without getting any recommendations. But really, it’s the joy of discovering new tastes and flavor combinations that I find quite appealing. The world we live in has an almost infinite variety of foods and food combinations to savor or sample. I have a long way to go before I experience all of them.

In the past I was quite rigid in my food preferences, but over the years as I have traveled extensively, my palette has expanded. I very rarely go somewhere that I can’t find something that I like or would like to try. It really is a sense of freedom to not have to stick to a particular food all the time.

Tonight’s dinner in Leipzig was at a very nice restaurant called Escados Steak House. It’s located on the southern end of the town center in the basement of the Deutsche Bank building. I highly recommend it. The food quality is excellent as is the service. The atmosphere is cozy and casual. I had some tapas dishes; shrimp, croquettes more shrimp in conjunction with a nice wine and garlic bread. Oh, did I mention I like shrimp or prawns. As I was with some colleagues from work, the evening was filled with some good stories and lots of laughter. Great combination; friends, good food, laughter, and drinks.

Michael

West of the Leipzig, Germany Marriott are three 10-story buildings that are abandoned and must have been for years. As you can see from the photos, they have been turned into a fine example of urban art.The artwork is on a type of canvas that is draped over all four sides of these buildings. Each building’s art cover is slightly different. There are literally hundreds of images on each and it would take quite some time to see them all. The photo on the left was the view from my hotel window. In the morning, the sunrise hits the building and all the colors come to life.

I don’t know what prompted the original decision to do this, but effectively it turned a potential urban eye-sore into a three block work of art. It’s a fantastic example of creative innovation and what a community committed to solving a problem can do.

The model that Leipzig has employed could be an inspiration for other cities trying to resolve similar challenges. The other amazing thing is that I couldn’t see any graffiti anywhere on these buildings. That’s a testament to the townspeople and their respect for this project.

Michael

I ate at a wonderful seafood only restaurant in Helsinki, Finland tonight called Fishmarket. The creativity of the chef was amazing. Three of us had the 5 course meal. Salmon with avocado, bouillabaisse, cod with octopus, cheese, and banana with peanut. A nice white wine complimented our meal.

I’m always amazed at the creativity of chefs that can combine flavors and textures that I would never have thought to bring together. It really is art!

Trying new food dishes is a great way to open ourselves to trying new things. The point is not whether you like it or not, but that you stretched and tried something new. You’ll be surprised at what you will find appealing. I think it’s important to consistently do things that are uncomfortable, new or unique. As we keep ourselves comfortable with change, we tend to grow internally and widen our palette of experience.

So get out of the house, try something new and possibly discover new passions to pursue and enjoy.

Michael

I flew to Finland today. Everything about the flight and the experience was outstanding. It was one of those days that everything worked out perfectly (at least from my perspective). The drive to Boston Logan was easy and uneventful.

When I stepped up to the agent to check in, I asked (without expectation) if there was any available seats further up from my current row. I was on row 53 on a Boeing 747, which is almost all the way in the back. The agent got a funny smile and asked me how far up I would like to go. I said, “What do you have?” The agent, with his quirky smile, said “How about row 1?” I laughed and said that would be wonderful. I have never turned down a free upgrade to business class yet.

After a decent meal, I watched the sunset to my left and back. It was a spectacular display. Mother Nature was working overtime on this one. The cloud layer below looked like open ocean waves frozen and suspended. The sky was rainbow-like with red near the sun and radiating out in wide bands were all the other colors. Unlike a rainbow, these colors were heavily saturated and rich (my favorites) and encompassed the entire sky. The colors from red to deep indigo blended perfectly in smooth gradient bands that only nature can produce. My favorite shade of blue could be found about a third of the way up the sky from the sun.

I watched this event for over 20 minutes. I find that these moments watching nature displays to be very calming. It’s important to stop what you are doing and enjoy the moment that is transpiring. The exact sunset or nature event will never be repeated exactly the same again.

My heart is content tonight.

Michael