Travel Transformation

Coming home from a special trip like our recent one to Alaska, I found myself thinking about what was so transformational about it. Here are the top 8 I came up with.
1. I could appreciate that there was a next phase to my life in which work was not the primary driving force.
2. I had found a comfortable model for travel with like-minded folks looking to get some exercise and see some beauty in nature. Realistically, this means I will need to work longer because that model is expensive.
3. I felt more relaxed than I have in years with regard to my work.
4. My family is wonderful. Tough sometimes, but wonderful.
5. I felt like a I had broken the compulsion to check my Emil, FB etc. and was able to do some writing instead. Even in limited time situations, it is possible to use that time constructively.
6. I had written a poem which I read on the last night of the cruise, and someone asked me if I was a writer and I said “Yes” and the writing Gestapo didn’t appear to cart me away.
7. My life is really good. I have a wonderful husband in my life who will not be with me forever. It is time to appreciate him and us. Our 30th anniversary is in 3 days. You won’t find us this weekend.
8. You don’t need to travel to the ends of the earth to appreciate what you have in your local life.