Ten From Ten

I recently returned from San Diego. As I mentioned in my earlier post, I was out there for the ESRI User Conference. It came on the tail end of a five day trip to New York to visit family and to celebrate my niece's high school graduation. Being away from home for 10 days and family for 5 of those 10 led to some longings. I thought I'd list them here - some may resonate with you if you travel away from your family a lot.

Ten things I missed after being away from home for ten days.

1. Talking to my kids. They both have jobs right now, so between that and their friends, they are always coming or going somewhere. That makes those five and ten minute conversations around the dinner table or in passing so much more important. I enjoy hearing their stories about crazy customers at their respective grocery stores. They are getting a good taste of what it's like to navigate this world. Most of it good, some not.
2. Laughing with my wife. When you've been married for 25 years, you know each other pretty well. We have similar senses of humor, so we enjoy making each other laugh when talking about our day. It keeps us young and connected.
3. Walking my dog. This is my time to put in my iPod and get some "think time" or, sometimes "no-think time" after work. My dog is in my face every night after dinner, reminding me of my duties and it gets me moving, so that's okay.
4. My chair. I do most of my writing on my laptop from a certain chair in our living room. It's nothing special, but it is also the place where I am most comfortable. It's my refuge. If I have headphones in and am in this chair, it means, Knock Before Entering. 
5. My bike. Or, as Pee Wee Herman would say, MY BIKE! I ride it to work daily and usually put 10 miles in at night as "wind down time." It is my frugal answer to a gym membership and I look forward to it every night - weather permitting.
6. My house. It's 93 years old, needs a bunch of work, but it's also my kingdom. I occasionally nap on it's floors, I clean it constantly and fix what needs fixing when I can. Someday I will upgrade, but for now, it is good to me.
7. My bed. Two words: Hotel bed.
8. My solitude. The first half of the trip was spent with family. The second half at a conference of 16,000 people. Socializing was expected at both. I'm worn out and am glad that I have long stretches of time where I can be alone. - At least until next weekend when I attend my family reunion in Minnesota. 
9. My church family. The Collective MKE church we are trying to launch has a core launch team of about 15 people. I didn't realize how much I enjoy sharing my life with this group until we missed a week. Introvert or not, friends - especially good friends who you know will have your back - are so important. I love them.
10. My writing time. Believe it or not, my two hours on Saturday and time after work to write, edit, submit and promote my work was missed as well. Some of you might consider this a nightmare, but it's become part of the fabric of my life. If I don't do it, I feel like I'm slacking and lazy. In that respect, it's good to be back in the saddle again.

Blogging off...

My New York Family