Laura and I had dinner the other night and discussed our 1 word answer game which I mocked previously. She came up with “new” and I came up with “live”. These were better answers in my opinion.

This will be the 2nd time I’m traveling to Europe in exactly 2 years. There is a roofing show held in Germany bi-annually which is my excuse for going. I was much more nervous last time then I am this time for multiple reasons.

  • Let's see if I can get lucky and get a picture like this again.

    Let’s see if I can get lucky and get a picture like this again.

    Last time I was to go skiing in the Alps. Being a person who sucks at skiing, I was dreading falling off the “glacier”.

  • I fully expected to not be able to communicate when I was there which was pretty true but it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. I had no trouble checking into hotels or ordering food even though pointing is not ideal. I also felt this minimized the experience but there isn’t much you can do about it. I’ll still feel awkward going into a German bar and doing just about anything. Like sitting at a bar and ordering a beer is a trial. Ein Bier, bitte.
  • The Mercedes Benz factory is in Stuttgart which I'll be touring.

    The Mercedes Benz factory is in Stuttgart which I’ll be touring.

    I’ve matured a bit and have a better understanding of my place in the business world and how I may fit in whereas before I was searching every which way. An example was the person who was showing me around introduced me to the President of a 20 million Euro a year company and I blanked when I was talking to him because I had no idea what to ask him about. I remember saying, “what is the hardest part about business” or something stupid. I would handle it better this time,

  • I have no expectations other than to experience a few European cities. If you look at it like this, there is absolutely nothing to be nervous about.

globalperspectiveWhen I was 22, I don’t think I ever thought of traveling to Europe to achieve business. It didn’t register on my radar. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve developed a more global view which doesn’t happen without wanting to develop it. I’ve started to gain a deeper understanding of America and want to learn how the rest of the world perceives us. For this particular industry, it’s not like there are hundreds of Americans who are traveling and making an impression on roofing. I’m one of the few.

hugoI find European culture to be cooler than America which never really dawned on me when I was younger. I spent $175 on Hugo Boss shoes to try something new. I wear Boss clothes as well because I like the fit and style. I’ll probably by a few more articles of clothing and gadgets for keepsakes from the trip.

When I was over there 2 years ago I noticed there weren’t many over weight people. After that trip 2 years ago I flew straight to Vegas and was encountered by ridiculous American slobs and was shaking my head about American culture.  I think about some states like Arkansas and Alabama and how I’ve never been there and wonder if “southern folk” exist in Europe. When you start thinking like this you start wanting to see what it’s like in Nigeria, Russia, South Korea, and Colombia.

universe-resized-600What’s even stranger as I’ve gotten older is that I’ve not only opened up my global perspective, but also a universal perspective. When you see pictures of the universe and you see how much of a spec our planet is in the grand scheme of things, you feel really little. It shows how insignificant whatever it is you are doing is. I like to think of Earth and the human species as a petri dish that has evolved into us. With the way time is, we are in such a small window that our 80 years on Earth is a flash. I’m sure there is other shit in the universe but the chance of us seeing it in our lifetime is minuscule. This train of thought could be depressing but you make the best of what you have and that’s living life to be happy and a continuous betterment.

With that I wish my readers adieu and I should get some seriously awesome posts after my trip. I’ll take plenty of pictures and try to get myself into experiences I usually wouldn’t. Sam – I’m single spacing now.

 

 

Lately I’ve been looking at the universe and my role in it.

When I look at someone I’ve never met before and will never meet again, I look at that person as a spec instead of a person.

Single spacing.

Bettering yourself.