Lessons in Open Diary 2001-2018 (Pre-Prosebox)

Okay, okay. I get it. I do.

I’ve taken a few more stumbles along the way (as recently as Tuesday night!). And there’s nothing that says I won’t stumble again and again and again. But each time I do, I learn something new…about myself, Grrrr, my job, my life, the way things should and shouldn’t be. I’m not perfect. I’m about as far from it as I’ve ever been. If Grrrrr kept an online diary (maybe he does…Grrr?) and wrote about me, I’m sure he would be getting notes from the opposite angle. Which again, I get it…why are we both doing this??!!

Today, I am far, far away. Amsterdam, to be exact. I’m still anxious and nervous, but I’m getting the job done and working very closely with a new colleague who I really respect. We’re leaving for Stockholm tomorrow (working weekend), then Berlin until next Thursday, then Paris for a day and then London through the following weekend. I shouldn’t even have time to worry about what’s happening with Grrrrr, but of course I do. The difference is, the distance gives me a little bit of perspective.

I’m so very exhausted, as this is already leg 3 of a 7-leg journey (starting in Boston and NYC). The plane ride from JFK to Amsterdam was torturous. I was sitting in coach a row in front of the emergency exit. You know what that means? The seat did not recline AT ALL!!! I sat next to a very large woman with a booming voice and a throat full of complaints. I could tell she was a talker, so I kept my eyes shut and my earphones on. Still, that didn’t stop her from asking to move because her seat wouldn’t recline. And when the flight attendants finally found some poor sucker to switch seats with her, they made me get up…until she found out that she would have an aisle seat, so she refused to move because she “had to sit a certain way.”

Oy vey. She shifted and shuffled around for almost nine hours (flight delayed @ JFK for 2 ½ hours for various reasons). At one point, I had to push her OFF of me. Needless to say, I didn’t wish her a good stay when we were debarking. In fact, I think her bad back rubbed off on me. Grumble.

But I’m doing okay. I like Lisa, the colleague who’s traveling with me. We had a nice dinner and ended up talking about personal things and I feel a lot closer to her (and believe it or not, a lot more normal that I have been feeling the last few days). We are going to be together practically 24/7 over the next week, so it helps that we’re compatible in that way.

I had a little incident on Tuesday night that I want to write about, but I’m running out of time. Bottom line is: we are all here to teach each other. I still don’t know exactly what, but isn’t it amazing how you seem to stumble upon people and situations in the most synchronistic way? I am realizing that I’m not taking advantage of my “lessons” in the way that could really help. Why is that? Why do I seem to sabotage all of the little gifty/meaningful situations?

Hmmm. Better run. I fell asleep while writing this entry and it’s almost time to check out of hotel #3 and meet Lisa for a working breakfast.

Next stop, Stockholm!!

Dag!