So, i'm blogging from Austin hotel right now, on a Saturday late afternoon after my lunch with Joe.
This is a lovely place i've gotten, with its own stove, oven and dish-washer ( which i didnt even notice until i spoke to my parents on skype and shared with them via web-cam). So much for being domesticated huh.
So, i'm into my third week in USA. My first trip to USA so far. And it's been great! Some of the highlights include:
1) Watching a Major League BaseBall Game ( Twins vs Cleveland)
2) Camping at a lake in a Proper Camper, having Smores over a fire, tubing in the lake ( Knife's River)
3) Dipping my feet in cold water of Lake Superior ( the World's Largest Fresh water lake)
4) Hike at Gooseberry Falls State Park
5) Shopping at Albertville ( Minnesota Outlet Malls)
6) Dining at the docks beside the river at StillWater
7) Feed seagulls at Duluth ( USA's major port)
8) Meeting my key suppliers (those global accounts based in USA)
9) Went to a USA Casino.
And then in Austin:
10) Drove an hour ( alone) to San Marcos Outlet Malls-voted 3rd for Best Shopping place in the World... I stayed there only an hour ( need strong discipline) and then drove less than an hour back. => no GPS
11) Meeting alot of US colleagues whom i've usually just emailed, heard about and never personally met. It's really nice to put a face to a name now, and to share some stuffs outside work.
And it comes to my attention that alot of these colleagues, or US folks are really very close-knitted to their family (you will never fail to see their kids photos on their desk, their wall, and they will bring their kids up in conversation, about their spouse, things they are going to do during the weekend).. it's nice.
It's common for folks here to move about states. So one can grow up in say... Boston, and move to Chicago to study, and then California to work, and then settled down in Austin, for example. Or born in Wisconsin and worked in Minnesota... So, everyone is very adaptable to different cultures, environment, which to me, is not that bad an idea.
When exchanging some information about ourselves, i'm simple. I'm born and grew up in Singapore. I will get married in Singapore, and will probably stay in Singapore. Joe asked me a question if i had plans to stay elsewhere, since i was going that Singapore is a small place, my day trip today, would have seen me up to Johore at least.
And when he asked me that, I was telling him, even tho Singapore is a really small place, we tend to take alot of things for granted, like the safe environment, the politically stable country, the convenience, public transport, and of course, my family.... * side note: Chicago is encountering heavy rain, flash foods as i'm blogging*
I've always been homey. Even if i like to travel, and now, there's more. I miss Allan alot more too. He's just like family to me now, and i really appreciate his concern, checking on me when i was out driving today alone to San Marcos on HWY 183, IS 35. He actually gone through the route with me last night via Google Map. He called me when i was in Kate Spade this morning to check that i got there safe.=)
And i told him quite a few times this trip, that i think i had it with the work travelling bug. I used to envy those who travel to USA, nice places for long periods. I think it's nice if you have your loved ones with you, but if not, it can be quite lonely, haha, but he doubt my words saying i will eat back my words in a few months.
I used to ponder, why married couples need to stay together, i mean if one finds a job somewhere else for 6 months, why the other half will need to unroot and move together.
It's like: why cant they just be like what they used to do as boyfriend girlfriend, maintaining a long distance relationship. ( i mean granted they dont have kids)... Furthermore, if they are married, they are probably more mature and stable to be able to handle long-distance as compared to young folks who's still probably in the fun, drifting mindset.
However, i start to have a feel for what it's like to be that apart.
Especially when it's totally drastic timezones differences ( in this case 13 hours because of day-light savings). It' requires time and energy to arrange skype meetings to talk, to catch up and be a part of each other's life even tho we're apart).
When you grow older (well, i'm starting to feel this), the need for dependency, the knowledge that there's someone there, really there for you and you're his priority, really calms one down even when one's flustered. Knowing there's someone who's on the lookout for you, who wants to know exactly what's happening, where you're staying, what you're doing. I feel safe just knowing that, even if he's not around. Security without physical presence. I cant quite explain.
I just feel i've been on a fast track ride this trip. Seeing colleagues who are few years older than me, seeing folks 1-2 decades older than me, and how family is a strong foothold for who they are. These folks have a passion for life outside work, be it gardening, be it fishing, i have also met this lady who's into farming, cutting wood in the summer.. mowing the lawn.
They take their kids to baseball games, play baseball with them, they go to drive- in with their family ( have a grill and bbq ready beside their car) ( i almost done that if not for the Stormy saturday!).
It's like as tho, they are sharing with me, what' life will be like down the road. No doubt, no one wants to spend the whole Saturday chopping wood. ( not if you have like 80 acres of land).
Or it can be the father who's taking his MBA, who's preparing his kids for a stay over with their cousins, taking them to swim.
And you know what?... I'm looking forward to life. =) To every new day that's i have to make it worthwhile so that looking back, i will have great memories as well!
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