Tuesday, 9/11

TUESDAY, 9/11:

I think it’s just the speed of the turnaround that gets you the most.

I mean, one day you're waking up in Munich, and then the next you’re staring at your office computer, wondering what you need to get done. It’s like there’s no transition, no time for a de-acceleration.

I guess you might call it cultural whiplash, if nothing else.

Anyway, that’s how I felt for a while Monday morning upon returning to work. It was kind of surreal for a while; like I wasn’t supposed to be back here, or something. I forgot several things at home, several things I routinely bring with me without even thinking about it. I keep seeing big honking pickup trucks & SUVs instead of tiny Scodas and Smart Cars. And a couple of times when my coworkers gave me a piece of paper or something I needed, I thanked them in German without even thinking.

Needless to say, THAT got quite the reaction.

Some people have always expressed amazement that I go right back to work right after spending a week and a half on one of these European adventures, and I’ve always wondered why they were amazed. But after this sudden turnaround (I mean, we get into Marquette at 9 Sunday night, and 12 hours later, I’m at work) I guess I can kind of see where they’re coming from. But, unfortunately, time (and radio) waits for no one.

So despite the cultural whiplash, onward we move!

*****

By the way, I did a little math in my head (and we all know how dangerous THAT can be). I ended up driving a mere 1,150 kilometers in Germany; that’s approximately 700 miles, which is a lot less than usual. And you know what that might mean? That for the first time in a LONG time my week and a half of driving in Europe may not exceed my yearly total here in the U.S. I probably average close to 100 miles a month on the roads here, so when you compare that to the 700 in Germany, I'm actually a little short.

And that may be the first time that ever happened. But I guess that's what we get for traveling in what for us was a smaller area than usual. Instead of 3 or 4 different countries, we were just in Bavaria. And there were a couple of days when I drove, I think, less than 10 kilometers total. So if nothing else, both our bank account and the environment will thank us.

And that's not necessarily a bad thing.

(jim@wmqt.com)