Layover

As I alluded to some, melodramatically, on November 26th, I spent the bulk of last week in some form of transit.

A long (12 hours, never again) drive back from time with family in MD, followed by the regular work day commute on Monday then a nice 5am trip to the airport on Tuesday morning and lots of driving for a conference through Thursday, to be met only with another pitch black commute from 12-2am on Friday and back to work later that day for the 9-5.

Life on the road - Thai iced tea takeout the night before our presentation

I like this aspect of my work and life, for the most part. What I think I need to acknowledge more is that I can sometimes be a relatively quiet, slow-paced person, and so there are pieces of what I do that can be less than exhilarating for me during those times of desired quiet, and that is okay.

I don't particularly like packing, needing to work or travel for work in the middle of the night, and I especially don't like that feeling of coming home to O the cat and not even wanting to pet him, because I am too tired and really just need to get to bed.

Insomnia hit in Atlanta, so I sat out on my verdana and took a hot bath

On the upside of all of this, I think I am getting a bit better at the conference and presentation side of the work we do, which is a weakness of mine compared to the desk and support and even the training work that I do. I actually liked talking to people at the booth this time around. I did not feel very nervous in starting up and wrapping up our presentation to heads of schools or principals. And, when my boss asked me, upon my return, if people were recognizing me from the last conference and joining me just to make small talk, I said, "yes," and surprised myself with that. I guess I too, can keep learning and growing just by doing, doing, doing like I tell everyone else they can.

Between the conference and the flight back to the rest of my work week, I had seven hours. I had heard the area had a wonderful aquarium, but I figure that I will go back to the area quite a bit in my lifetime, and so I wanted to save that activity for a time when I am with friends or colleagues.

So I drove to the zoo instead, only to switch it up at the last minute, upon seeing a sign for the "Cyclorama" and the "World's Largest Oil Painting." Okay.

What ended up happening is that I toured a civil war museum, highlighting the Battle of Atlanta, and featuring a cylindrical oil painting - a panorama as they are known across the world - that was indeed very large. I learned that General Sherman took Atlanta (I should have probably known this already, but where I grew up we only know Gettysburg), that taking Atlanta was primarily a railroad campaign, where a train named the Texas chased a train called the General, stolen by Andrew J. Johnston, a Federal spy!, and that the first African American person to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor was William H. Carney of the 54th Massachusetts. I also got a book on lynching drama as social protest and a list of all the other standing panoramas in the world, so you know, I can check them out at my leisure. All in all, it was worth the 10 dollars, and skipping the animals this time.

Well, skipping most of the animals...

After that, I ambled around Grant Park, the oldest historical park in Atlanta and the location of said zoo and Cyclorama. It was a beautiful day, and among the birds and squirrels and middle class moms and kids and homeless people, I felt very grateful for the life that I am living. S and I broke up a couple of months ago. We are on relatively good terms and I am not interested in dating for awhile, so I am as comfortable perhaps as I can be during this time, but that doesn't mean there aren't moments of loneliness, regret, doubt, or just feelings of dislocation. I've always liked being alone, in nature especially, but singleness truly takes on a new meaning and feeling at this point. It's like wearing a brand new outfit that you like, but with sleeves at a different length and a cut far different than to what you are accustomed. It takes some squirming and looking in the mirror to decide how it's all working out.

It was a good week, once it was over. I try to remember that in almost every piece of my life, hindsight has brought my a supreme appreciation for how beautifully God has placed me in situations, environments, and with people who have become my mentors, partners, and inspirations at the exact right time for my growth. I have no doubt that I will see this time in my life with the same clarity so long as I confidently live out the process.