This is the 5th snowiest winter in Michigan’s history. When the cold seems too much it is always good to remember that this is a season and if you think about it, summer is only a sweet memory away. This state is one of the best ones to experience the beauty of every season but there is nothing like a Michigan summer. So when the next inch of snow falls, let us all remember that within each of us is an invincible summer. Thanks to Candice for sharing those words of wisdom with me today!
On a recent trip for business, I let my iphone capture the journey. Hope you enjoy!
So this week I have had every flight delayed or cancelled. I have rearranged my schedule and childcare and I am now wondering if I will get home tonight at all. So what’s a busy mom to do in delays? Well here are a few of my tips for making the most of the winter travel woes.
1. Get caught up on correspondence. With all the extra time, take advantage of the free airport wifi (if you are fortunate to be sitting in one of those airports) and catch up on all the emails that go unanswered. The vendor emails saying hello. The opportunity to thank your friends and colleagues for the little things that may go unnoticed. Use this time as an opportunity to notice those around you and be thankful.
2. Read more. I always want to read a little more but I give my self the excuse that I am too busy. Well, now is the perfect opportunity to stand in a bookshop and read an HBR article, catch up on the latest blog from Fast Company or enrich your mind with a recommended book. And, the great thing about airports, they all have bookstores to help you pick up some knowledge the old fashioned way. There is something special about the feel of a new paperback that gives you the sense that you are holding the power of a story. Use this time to become a better storyteller. Read, listen and learn.
3. Relax. While everyone is stressing about how they will get from point A to point B, take the time to notice that worrying about the situation won’t help you get home faster or make that meeting. The weather is God’s way of helping us realize that we are not in control so strop trying to be. I know that no matter what time I finally make it in tonight, I will still get to hold my Maggie tight and give my husband a kiss. This realization is really what matters in the world. So grab a glass of wine at the local restaurant, pick up that paperback and relax while waiting for your flight to board.
So Boston has always been a place that I wanted to visit and now that I have a local client, I plan on getting to know the city a little better. So I put together my Boston Bucket List. As I explore the list, I will write new posts and perhaps add a few other items to the list.
1. Visit Harvard (Cambridge, Mass)
2. Stand in the first feet of baseball – the original site of the World Series. Located on the campus of NorthEastern University in downtown Boston, the original site is commemorated by a statue of Cy Young. It is a pretty special experience to stand on the sacred ground of Baseball’s beginnings. I have been in love with this sport for as long as I can remember. It is apart of our nation’s history and is in the fabric of our country, so to have the opportunity to see where it all began is a moment I will not soon forget.
3. Watch a game at Fenway Park
4. Visit MIT (a tour of the innovation lab would be pretty fantastic)
5. Walk inside the world’s largest glass globe – The Mapparium in the Mary Eddy Baker Library
6. Attend a concert (Some of the best musicians are in Boston, from the New England Conservatory to the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops). I want to grab a concert and experience this impressive music culture.
7. Walk the Freedom Trail (although I have taken a detour going back to the airport and had the cabby give me his tour of the Freedom Trail, with my love of history I want to check this one out with some time and enjoy walking in the steps of our nation’s patriots.)
I am sure there are many more places that should make the list. Do you have a Boston favorite that I need to add?
I have heard rumors of a city in the middle of no where with an insane food culture, winos, beer lovers and super creative people. When we flew into Des Moines for a new business opportunity, the flight only helped to reinforce that this was the most well kept secret in the midwest. The plane in was perhaps the smallest prop plane I have ever flown on commercially and the airport didn’t even have a stoplight at the intersection. But maybe the fact that there isn’t alot of traffic from the outside world is the “special sauce” to why this city is so amazing. There is no traffic. The downtown is walk-able and there is an appreciation for the art of agriculture that brings about the very best food experiences you can imagine. We ate at Alba – perhaps one the best farm-to-table food experiences I have had in a long time. The sauces and innovative approach to ingredients were truly innovative. And the people, well they are genuine, kind and hard-working. I met some pretty special Iowans in our new business pitch and heard inspiring stories. And the zombies, well they were pretty cool too.
After our presentation, we wanted to celebrate our hard work with a comfort food meal – so we had some pretty remarkable burgers. The theme was hilarious and the food was well executed. I got the Shaun of the Dead – and it was a cheese experience I will not soon forget. They had a decent craft beer menu as well. I hope we are back soon – because I gotta get me a t-shirt that let’s the world know what I think of Iowa – “Des Moines: Hell Yes!”.