On the Way

I write to you today from Terminal 3 of Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport. Check-in for my flight to Copenhagen has not yet begun (I'm 6 hours early) but the waiting area is slowly filling up with anxious travelers, and even a few backpack toting twenty-somethings like myself.

Today I met a man on my first flight who noticed I was reading a book from the Song of Ice and Fire series and began to talk to me. He spoke about his 3 treks down Camino de Santiago in Spain, his wife, and their one-eyed dog. We chatted about travel stories, book series, and our jobs, and as we began to descend, he asked to give me some advice for my future, having come from a high-stress corporate background.

"Bloom where you're planted," he said. "Be happy wherever you end up. Avoid becoming a bitter, burnt out employee because your work status will reflect that. People won't want to work with you and the bitterness will only grow." Everywhere is a new adventure to embrace.

Next, he said "Going into a corporate job, get ready to be moved around a lot. If you don't like a city, you just haven't found your place within it yet. Keep looking until you find your niche." Explore until you find a place you can love.

His final piece of advice was to change things up once in awhile. He told me to refuse to become complacent in a location or position that I no longer enjoyed.

I was lucky enough to sit next to someone who went out of their way to be kind and offer a fresh college grad some sage advice that didn't make me feel like an idiot. I'm hoping this is only a preview for the rest of this trip. I want to continue to learn and absorb knowledge from each person I encounter, and one day be able to share that with someone else in a similar situation.

Travel is neat.