By Don
How did I get here again?
Flying from Melbourne, FL to Charlotte for a mad dash across the terminal and from there to Dallas. Thankfully, the great state of Texas provides a train from terminal B to A which should assist with the 40 minute link for my flight to Tucson. But all of that ‘what’ isn’t a ‘how or why.’
The short version: I am spending a couple of weeks in Tucson supporting the Komatsu mining team with customer engagements surrounding the week of MINExpo.
I’m really excited about the opportunity and have been looking forward to having some time at the Arizona Proving Grounds where Komatsu tests all their mining equipment. More on that in a later post.
Flying is cathartic for me, flooding me with so many thoughts and emotions. I’ve done a lot of global travel over the years and my passports are filled with the stamps from both adventure and the mundane.
Days before a trip I begin building up a frameless anxiety about breaking my current routine. Completely unrelated to the practical aspects of travel, this weight of unease has been creeping into my mind with growing consistency over the past several years.
With the recent clarity that comes from long hours walking the beach in solitude, I am finding the edges to some of these thoughts.
I believe it’s about putting on the “Travel Don” suit and all the personal changes required while being away from home.
Work time expands, sleep schedules become laughably elastic, and eating transforms into several different Olympic sports. On the one hand, you must be able to go all day with whatever nuts or power snack you carried up the mountain then you must graciously present yourself before a multi course meal at the local candle-lit Rathskeller for the longest dining experience in history. I honestly don’t remember any bad meals, but not all of the offerings were done fighting for their lives.
No matter what, the finer the meal, or the nicer the hotel, the earlier your flight is the next day. It’s guaranteed.
Meetings, mines, wrenches, and wires fill the days, but the need is always the people. This is the compelling force of being away.
Every aspect of my world changes in some subtle or grand way and yet Travel Don must march forward without regard.
Nearing 3 Million air miles, one would think adapting to these changes would come easily. The normal issues of actually getting through airports, customs, sitting on airplanes, and all the other elements of wandering the world are easy to me. I don’t worry about delays or flight changes. You either let go of what you can’t control or find yourself on someone’s viral YouTube video titled, “Meltdown in Miami leads to arrest.”
Flying time provides unique moments for reflection enhanced by the stunning visuals only available from the sky. For me, these vignettes help with the transition from home to Travel Don, creating a cocoon around the mind of “Home Don” and the brutally focused mind required by “Travel Don” on the road. Frankly, sometimes Travel Don is a jerk and leaving him behind is freeing inside.
Sunset over Des Moines
Clouds over Florida
Mt. Fuji, Japan
On the upside, Travel Don achieves so much and I am forever thankful for all the opportunities that come with the sacrifice of travel. Serving others and helping them with their own challenges has been such a privilege. The amazing joy that comes from a family meal across so many cultures is a humbling experience and I wouldn’t trade those moments for anything.
This world flourishes with people living the same principles of life; love, compassion, drive, achievement, dismay, all expressed in unique and wonderful ways. The simplicity exploding like billions of individually colored flowers across the fields.
The sunsets from each region stand as a testimony to their local atmosphere and act as a thumbprint of the swirling air.
South Africa
Tucson, AZ, USA
California
The world fills your heart with wonder, but make no mistake, it takes a toll on me and my family and I think this drives me through those early days of anxiety.
Coming home works in reverse. I begin shedding the concerns of Travel Don and taking on the mental comforts of being home. I know I am both one and the same person, that Home Don actually travels around everywhere. I am comfortable with this truth and slowly reconciling, perhaps integrating these memories together now. Finding a peace from the path behind that provides confidence in the adventure ahead.
Sunrise Departure Home from Tucson