I love travel. I have the good fortune of being married to someone who works for WestJet and one of the benefits extended to me as his spouse is economical travel. I also have the good fortune of having loving friends & family who are willing to support my children allowing me to take the occasional trip. So, this week, I am in Phoenix enjoying the sun for a few days.
Now, everyone probably has a reason for loving travel and believe me sunshine is definitely one of my reasons, but I have truly had an epiphany around my love for travel on this trip. The thing I love most about travel is connecting with strangers and getting a small glimpse into their lives.
Wednesday, in the shuttle bus from the parking lot to the airport I met a man and his fiance who were heading to Vegas for a 5 day pre-wedding getaway. What a great idea! Getting away together before the craziness of their final preparations for their June wedding suck them into an abyss. It was his first time to Vegas, they are staying at the Bellagio and I was every bit as excited for them as they were.
At the airport, I was good and early so I decided to get a drink. The bar was full so I asked a pair of ladies sitting at a table for 4 if I could sit beside them - promising not to eavesdrop on their conversation. As I grabbed for my gin & tonic, my finger caught the tip of my straw and flung the straw and some of my drink across the table - for those of you who know me well, this is my typical move to break the ice! Anyway, this all led to a few good chuckles and a couple of fast friends who promised to watch out for me and make sure I made it on the plane.
Once on the plane, I was seated between 2 ladies in their 50's or 60's, each of whom was flying down to meet their husbands at their condos. I learned about where they live, when they bought into Phoenix market and what they love to do while here. Today while I sat at the pool, I couldn't stop wondering about the lives of all of the people sitting at the pool. Where were they from, why were they here, what are their stories?
The epiphany or insight that I have gained is that I adore connecting with and learning about people - I love hearing about & even being part of somebody's story. I know this shouldn't be a surprise, nor will it be for many who know me, but for the first time ever I am seeing this as a gift, something I'm very good at, something that I should truly embrace and leverage. I always assumed that this is something that everybody does but when I asked Jeff if he does the same thing, he categorically said, no. When I think about it, I realize that this is the trait that has probably helped me to be successful in my career to date, I just haven't seen it as particularly special or valuable. I wonder where this will all lead to?
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