Going Places
All the stuff that was bumming me out yesterday? All fixed. It's 'cause I have a very effective strategy for those sorts of situations:
1) Stew about it. Get really pissy.
2) Start borrowing trouble...running through the possible scenarios and coming up with withering retorts, icy looks and assorted other "you and this situation are so beneath me" responses.
3) Vent spleen on someone who totally gets it.
4) Get quiet somewhere, offer it up, put a smile on my face and move forward.
A very mature person would just skip straight to #4, what with quiet, collection of thoughts and prayer being far more effective strategies for any of life's little complications. But I am, apparently, not that mature. (I really need to confirm that the date on my birth certificate is accurate). Regardless. I worked my system and lo and behold, everything worked out.
The Board had to do a presentation last night which, quite simply, rocked. Everyone was spectacular: clear, concise, poignant and yes, in some ways, pre-emptive. Ha!
Then there was a little meeting after all the back-to-school hooha about the DC fundraising (as it will herewith be known). One of the leaders pulled me aside before the meeting to tell me that a) they had taken my advice on a point of particular thorniness and 2) clarified how we are structuring things going forward...a plan which, btw, takes in to rather abundant consideration input I gave last week. It became manifest that the "core group" considers me to be a part of the "core group". Not that I really need anything more to do right now but considering the insularity of the people involved and the fact that I was pretty sure I'd thoroughly ticked them off with aforementioned input, it was pretty groovy. It also confirmed that speaking your mind is actually not always a bad thing.
Would you like to know another little system I have that's really effective? Sure you would. It regards travel. For all that I am a plan-y plan-y, organized, list making, occasionally trouble borrowing sort of person, my general travel strategy is very much not in that vein. It goes like this:
Let's use, as an example, the trip The Spouse and I hope to take next summer. The plan is to send The Child to France to hang with Nicole, right? Well, given what I can only assume will be the fantastic success of my new business, The Spouse and I would accompany her, deposit her in Laval and then go off for a week or two on our own. We never had a real honeymoon; it might be kinda nice. Paris would be a factor.
Paris is, I've heard tell, a big city with tons and tons and tons to see and do. One could be there for months and not see it all, let alone give it due in a few days. But I don't travel to do and see everything. I like to invite experiences, finding a way to discover a sense of the heart of a place. You don't always find that by hitting all the major tourist attractions.
I already have my plan for Paris:
1) See the Eiffel Tower. Just see it. I don't have to go up in it or touch it. Just get a good long gander at it from the ground and not merely a high speed train.
2) See the Mona Lisa.
3) Drink Pernod in a cafe.
4) Go to one of those places where you can buy old silverware by the pound and get 12 place settings of same.
5) Light a candle in Notre Dame.
That's all. Eating is assumed. Seeing other artwork on my way to the Mona Lisa would be well, unavoidable. But there would be no big pressure to tour the Louvre, no spending hours on a tour bus. It's the sort of plan that invites all sorts of interesting, meaningful and unexpected things to seep through the interstices of our time there and also assures that there won't be any big let-down afterwards because we didn't "do it all".
I know this works. The strategy has been applied with great success in New York, San Francisco, Chicago and London.
Oh, London.
Dig this. We were there for 1 1/2 days. Hardly time enough, you say. Strictly speaking, no. But we knew it was going to be that brief so we had very low expectations. The Spouse wanted to see Buckingham Palace. I wanted to see (just see, didn't have to go in) Westminster Abbey. Oh, and buy something at Harrod's. As it turned out, the flat where we stayed was in Kensington/Hyde Park; pretty much central London. There was so much history and architecture right in our own borrowed 'hood that I was blissed out. And we were able to, via a very convenient double decker tour bus that stopped right 'round the corner, see what was on our list and then some.
But as is the way of these things, the memories we made in London weren't about our list. It was The Child discovering the joys of currant buns. Asking directions of a bobby. Poking around Westminster Cathedral after a Mass. The Child instinctively going down on her little four year old knees to pray in one of the side chapels and realizing as I joined her that we were in the chapel dedicated to St. Patrick and the saints of Ireland; our people. Crossing the Thames and having a gestalt kinda moment during which The Spouse said, "Pookie" to get my attention so he could snap a photo. (Later I told him how perfect it was that he caught me in "a moment" and he said, "Yeah, I figured it was a pretty big deal for you"). Point is, the fewer the expectations, the more room for surprises.
Having low expectations is generally not considered a good thing. When it comes to travel, though, I highly recommend it.
1) Stew about it. Get really pissy.
2) Start borrowing trouble...running through the possible scenarios and coming up with withering retorts, icy looks and assorted other "you and this situation are so beneath me" responses.
3) Vent spleen on someone who totally gets it.
4) Get quiet somewhere, offer it up, put a smile on my face and move forward.
A very mature person would just skip straight to #4, what with quiet, collection of thoughts and prayer being far more effective strategies for any of life's little complications. But I am, apparently, not that mature. (I really need to confirm that the date on my birth certificate is accurate). Regardless. I worked my system and lo and behold, everything worked out.
The Board had to do a presentation last night which, quite simply, rocked. Everyone was spectacular: clear, concise, poignant and yes, in some ways, pre-emptive. Ha!
Then there was a little meeting after all the back-to-school hooha about the DC fundraising (as it will herewith be known). One of the leaders pulled me aside before the meeting to tell me that a) they had taken my advice on a point of particular thorniness and 2) clarified how we are structuring things going forward...a plan which, btw, takes in to rather abundant consideration input I gave last week. It became manifest that the "core group" considers me to be a part of the "core group". Not that I really need anything more to do right now but considering the insularity of the people involved and the fact that I was pretty sure I'd thoroughly ticked them off with aforementioned input, it was pretty groovy. It also confirmed that speaking your mind is actually not always a bad thing.
Would you like to know another little system I have that's really effective? Sure you would. It regards travel. For all that I am a plan-y plan-y, organized, list making, occasionally trouble borrowing sort of person, my general travel strategy is very much not in that vein. It goes like this:
Let's use, as an example, the trip The Spouse and I hope to take next summer. The plan is to send The Child to France to hang with Nicole, right? Well, given what I can only assume will be the fantastic success of my new business, The Spouse and I would accompany her, deposit her in Laval and then go off for a week or two on our own. We never had a real honeymoon; it might be kinda nice. Paris would be a factor.
Paris is, I've heard tell, a big city with tons and tons and tons to see and do. One could be there for months and not see it all, let alone give it due in a few days. But I don't travel to do and see everything. I like to invite experiences, finding a way to discover a sense of the heart of a place. You don't always find that by hitting all the major tourist attractions.
I already have my plan for Paris:
1) See the Eiffel Tower. Just see it. I don't have to go up in it or touch it. Just get a good long gander at it from the ground and not merely a high speed train.
2) See the Mona Lisa.
3) Drink Pernod in a cafe.
4) Go to one of those places where you can buy old silverware by the pound and get 12 place settings of same.
5) Light a candle in Notre Dame.
That's all. Eating is assumed. Seeing other artwork on my way to the Mona Lisa would be well, unavoidable. But there would be no big pressure to tour the Louvre, no spending hours on a tour bus. It's the sort of plan that invites all sorts of interesting, meaningful and unexpected things to seep through the interstices of our time there and also assures that there won't be any big let-down afterwards because we didn't "do it all".
I know this works. The strategy has been applied with great success in New York, San Francisco, Chicago and London.
Oh, London.
Dig this. We were there for 1 1/2 days. Hardly time enough, you say. Strictly speaking, no. But we knew it was going to be that brief so we had very low expectations. The Spouse wanted to see Buckingham Palace. I wanted to see (just see, didn't have to go in) Westminster Abbey. Oh, and buy something at Harrod's. As it turned out, the flat where we stayed was in Kensington/Hyde Park; pretty much central London. There was so much history and architecture right in our own borrowed 'hood that I was blissed out. And we were able to, via a very convenient double decker tour bus that stopped right 'round the corner, see what was on our list and then some.
But as is the way of these things, the memories we made in London weren't about our list. It was The Child discovering the joys of currant buns. Asking directions of a bobby. Poking around Westminster Cathedral after a Mass. The Child instinctively going down on her little four year old knees to pray in one of the side chapels and realizing as I joined her that we were in the chapel dedicated to St. Patrick and the saints of Ireland; our people. Crossing the Thames and having a gestalt kinda moment during which The Spouse said, "Pookie" to get my attention so he could snap a photo. (Later I told him how perfect it was that he caught me in "a moment" and he said, "Yeah, I figured it was a pretty big deal for you"). Point is, the fewer the expectations, the more room for surprises.
Having low expectations is generally not considered a good thing. When it comes to travel, though, I highly recommend it.
Labels: school fun, travel
cobbled together by Moi at 8:36 AM
12 Comments:
So you're saying I should lower my expectations before getting on the plane for Seattle?
I rather enjoyed being part of Step #3, and I'm glad you were able to progress to step #4. Snaps to you for reaping what you've sowed with this group. You are highly esteemed within your peer group, and deservedly so.
Aaah, travel. Paris. London. Did you catch the Rick Steves interview in the Seattle Times yesterday?
Yes. Expect to be greeted with great fanfare and excruciatingly tight hugs. Everything else will be gravy.
SCG: And thank you for being such a fine #3. Didn't see the interview...who had time to read the paper yesterday? But it's around here somewhere.
Low expectations are high on my list when traveling. Like you, I like to plan a few important things, then sort of see where each day takes us after that. The Spouse is much more inclined to need a plan every day, but he's always open to abandoning the plan if something better comes along.
We had about the same amount of time in London, and The Spouse also wanted to see the guard change at BP, so we did that. We saw Westminster Abbey from the outside. Sadly, never got to go inside (it was closed). I surprised everyone by guiding us to Harrod's, which was amazing of course. We never did buy anything though. The best part? Walking out of the tube station and seeing Big Ben for the first time - really realizing we were in LONDON!
As for Paris - I do have some touristy needs, mostly based upon the things YS has said we MUST do - go up in the Eiffel Tower, go up onto the Arc, spend an entire day in the Louvre, go to Sacre Coeur and Notre Dame - but after that, pretty much just hang out and feast on Parisian life.
The Pookie picture!
The Pookie picture!
We wanna see the Pookie picture.
Gina, don't you just love that "I'm really here!" feeling? It's the best.
Buck, I knew you were going to say that. I'll have to dig it out of an album and scan it and all that crap. It predates our digital camera.
You are mature. But not so mature as to avoid being entirely human. So there.
“Happiness = reality minus expectations” - Tom Magliozzi
As a military brat, I concur with your aims while travelling. Tourist traps actually grate on my nerves; I much prefer going to the places that the locals desperately try to hide from the tourists.
Of course, this isn't easy, given the desperately trying to hide thing -- but it's possible, and once there, if one is polite and respectful to the locals and eager to learn about what local life is really like, they're not all that annoyed that you arrived.
As for London, two months wouldn't be enough for me. I think I'd have to just live there.
You are so mature one would think you were almost 50 because we all know that 50 is the peak of maturity.....but you must be younger.
I think we have very much the same attitude towrds travelling...Let it flow.
Still,if I ever get to Paris,I would have to see the Mona Lisa,and visit the Biblioteque Nationale..It seems they have the most wonderful things.
yes lorriane... always carry a valid passport (one for hubby too!). it gives me loads of opportunities to yell out "I got my passport, I can just blow all this shiz and go darnit!"
Hat, ya think?
Red, I say we go in on a flat. For visits, you know.
Aww, Rosie. I am looking forward to my next half century. Just seems like I should feel more grown up by now, ya know?
Or, Sling, we could just go to Paris and hang out at places where people like Hemingway drank. Either way.
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