Summary: scoping the post, small changes, shameless plug for an experienced executive, activating the old Lewis & Clark DNA, carpe diem with reptile visuals.
So what did I get out of this? I mean most vacations give you a chance to slow down and reflect. The difference is that you usually get back within a week or two instead of taking a couple months to internalize the slower pace. There is a huge danger of being too introspective in a chapter like this, so I will keep it concise and tangible. I've ignored the blog for a couple weeks to allow the lessons of Oz to sink in, but it is time to get on with it and post something before you all forget the site. Quick aside, I have also turned some of this into a powerpoint, but it does not seem to want to load onto the site. When I can figure it out, look for a summary photo post.
Naturally, I find myself thinking about the trip. Australia really is a fantastic country with a pair of world class cities and a few more wonderful cities worthy of visiting. The trip really did go smoothly. While I'd love to credit my planning, the reality is that Australia is simply an easy place to visit (once you get there). Still, there was something cool about selecting an objective, planning it, getting it done, and returning with everyone in tact. Alex has quickly returned to the swing of things as well, but he is talking much more in all three of his languages. Naturally, as the sunny days get longer, we are enjoying the fact that we are about to go right back into summer.
Well, I have made a few changes personally. People tell me I look younger - maybe I am smiling more or maybe I need to keep losing weight, but I am not one to question compliments. For one thing, I am certainly driving slower. This is not to say I am an angel or that I was previously a freeway combatant, but I've been back for nearly a month and I am driving within 5 mph of the speed limit - that is just the most obvious symptom of me embracing a more relaxed approach. I've made a few other changes on the margins - going from a Treo to a Blackberry, going from a PC to a Mac, going from really short hair to longish hair (not rock star long, just an extra inch or two). In keeping with the "life is too short" theme, I am making some changes on the professional side too. I've spent 15 years developing marketing programs and helping companies make marketing decisions, but mostly from a role one step removed on the sales side. Now, I want to get in the arena and be the one doing the marketing. Additionally, as you can tell from this trip, I've always had a passion for knowing and doing all things international (my Master's is in International Business), but since the bulk of my work has been domestic this knowledge and my foreign languages have been mostly a hobby. That's going to change now. Although it would be easier to get another role involving sales to the marketing/advertising industry, I'll be doing something more purely marketing with an international angle. Potentially, I could do sales with an international skew and go from there to international marketing or I could do domestic marketing and go from there to international marketing. I am taking two different Spanish classes right now and looking for a way to do what I should be doing. By the way, if you know anyone trying to develop markets in Europe, Latin America, or Australia (or people from those places trying to develop the US), let me know.
Many of you have asked - in polite terms - "what kind of freakish genetic defect would cause you to want to wander across an empty continent with a toddler?" This question was asked before, during, and after the trip. Usually the word "brave" is used (thank you, my diplomatic friends), with the word "crazy" following shortly thereafter with a smile. You know who you are and you may have a point. One of the things that I have learned since returning from Australia is that my genes would be in favor of the trip. I have an ancestor famous for actions a couple centuries ago, but it is not the ancestor I thought it was. Since childhood, I had heard that I was a fairly direct descendant of Francis Scott Key, the author of the Star Spangled Banner - but in fact I am not. In a twist of fate that entirely makes sense right now, I have learned that I am a pretty direct descendant (8 generations back, 1st cousin) of Meriwether Lewis - as in Lewis & Clark. That's not a bad trade. Good to know that I am not the first person in the family to wander off into the lightly populated wilderness with a wingman. We both met some nice locals en route, but my wife did not grant permission to pick up any squaws en route (as in Sacajawea). Then again, I did not know to ask. On the other hand, Lewis & Clark did not get to sleep in road houses, drive on smooth well-marked roads, or experience their travels in an air conditioned Camry. Regardless, we probably saw about the same amount of oncoming traffic for much of our trip - I went whole days without passing or being passed by cars going in the same direction.
Some people experience life-threatening events and respond with something of a carpe diem attitude. Well, I had a trip that was essentially flawless for two months, but I have emerged with a similar attitude adjustment. Steve Irwin had that attitude and made his impression on this world (thus the first photo, above). No doubt the person who captured the croc depicted above ("Krys" - the 8.6m reptile from Normanton, Qld that might eat a person without needing to chew) was also "seizing the day" when this massive crocodile showed up. Without a doubt I am on the same page, as mentioned above in the professional sense. Alex and I had the trip of a lifetime and our lives have been impacted accordingly. Thanks for joining us for the trip. Future posts will come, but in irregular intervals.
