Saturday, October 1, 2011

Like any other

day- except it sort of isn't.  yesterday was my last day at my job of nearly twenty years.  today is Saturday and it feels like any other day on any other weekend. so I guess maybe Monday will be the one that feels different. 

since I never stay home on vacation I am not sure if that is how it will be.  it may be more like the Thursdays and Fridays of the last year- things to do but at my own pace and on my own schedule. 

last night I went out for dinner- actually was taken out for dinner by the crew that worked for me in the last five to twenty years - great folks - excellent at their work and always supportive of each other.  they were a first rate team and I sure they will continue to be.  that gets me thinking about changes - as we know by law of nature nothing stays the same - so how will things change now that I am gone?

did my mother wonder that when she decided to leave? she told me "you'll be fine" and of course while I miss her dreadfully I am fine, as predicted.  I said something not unlike that to my folks- getting a new boss- turning a page in their time at the company.

I guess the thing is - it is just different and I don't really know how it will be when the feeling of "different" passes. 

next week a trip where I have no cares or worries about what is happening at the office - LOL- seriously- the joy just bubbled up right then... my Chairman wrote me Friday afternoon and he titled the email "FREE"  LOL- no longer semifree but free.  (I don't think I will change the name - Foodie at 15 didn't - he just retitled his blog Foodie at 15 (now 17) )

We have dinner with friends tonight- another celebration...

so what photos will show celebration and freedom? don't know right now- will have to post them later... when I am on my regular computer with lots of choices...

OK so when I went looking I had to clarify what represents freedom to me-

so let's start with this - what I want to be doing-


and let's go on from there- why is this what I want to be doing? well here are some old photos of us in China and Tibet:

a class room in Tibet- the kids were having the best time and so were we!


these folks in the Hutong in Beijing couldn't get over how tall I was- I couldn't help but find their stature equally amusing!


a bus ride somewhere in China- you can see it is quite crowded (a billion people will do that...)


this photo is marked Hong Kong Kowloon- so it would have been taken three weeks into the trip - clearly there is still enough to hold my attention....(and not just Phil's Dr. Zorba like hair- LOL)


and this one from a later trip to Bhutan- where they measure gross national happiness rather than GNP or GDP....


because I am the photographer I don't have all that many photos of myself but there was a woman on the trip to China that snapped a bunch of shots of us-

what I am struck by when looking at these photos is how happy I look.... some of these actually convey my sense of wonder, fun, excitement and adventure that is - I find- the true gift of traveling.

see you on the road....