LAG, PERECT TIMING, GO WEST, STILL TRAINING...

Well, it's been a week since coming back from New Zealand. I'm not sure that I'm 100% over jet lag as there are points in the day where I've hit a wall and feel like I could fall asleep right away. It's scary when this happens as I'm driving or doing something else that requires attention. It doesn't help that things at work are quiet. It was quite sentimental/sad this past Friday because I said good-bye to my last staff member. The call centre that I built from scratch back in January has finally been shut down. I have no more staff to manage as I have no more customers to care for. The general feeling around the office is that we're all stuck in the moment with not much to look forward to, perhaps hanging on to a faint glimer of hope that there might be something new (or just riding it out until we get our packages). Others have chosen not to wait or have been told to leave. It's kind of eerie.

I continue to reflect on my recent trip and it helps that I have ample opportunity to share about it. At last night's small group meeting, one of the regular attendees brought a friend. As I was sharing about Habitat, I mentioned that the particular office that I was volunteering with in Hamilton is thinking about partnering with the affiliate in Sri Lanka, as there is still tons of work to be done as a result of last year's (can't believe that it's been that long - funny how things slip our mind when not on CNN) tsunami. Well, it just happens that this friend has step-family in Sri Lanka, just outside of Columbo, and he's been looking at different NGO's/agencies to see if he can contribute because he has some construction experience. He is totally amped about Habitat now and I've hooked him up with the coordinator that looked after my trip. Talk about good timing because I doubt that we will see him again at this small group!

I have an interview with the trading arm of my company next week. They are going to fly me out to their office in Calgary and I will be meeting with the hiring manager and the director. It's been a while since I threw my hat in as an applicant and am somewhat surprised that they are still finalizing their resources. I have mixed emotions about this prospect. On the one hand, it is perfect in terms of professional development in the energy industry, which is quite large and would be around for many years to come. Understanding how the fundamental inputs and outputs are treated/traded in the marketplace is key to understanding how our whole business works. Because it is a trading environment, there would be a demand for constant attention to fine details, the responsibility of making important strategic decisions, continuous learning about the complex marketplace itself and interesting shift schedules. I guess all these "new" things would be novel and refreshing compared to what I've been doing for the past little while. On the other hand, I've lived all my life in Ontario, particularly in the Toronto area. All my family is here, I have many close friends here, I've found reliable tennis and ping pong partners! It would break my heart to leave all this and venture off on my own, almost feeling guilty for doing so. But then, I remind myself about how close to the Rockies I would be, how close I would be to beautiful back country, I have some close friends and relatives in Alberta... And so, I have to wrestle with all these things in my mind. No decision nowadays, it seems, is ever a simple one.

It dawned on me that I have signed up for the Toronto Marathon which is happening on October 16. That's less than 2 months away and I really haven't been increasing my mileage, despite having kept up running even while away. I see this challenge a little different than training for the triathlon because I know how far I can push my body in running and am pretty confident with how my body will respond. With the triathlon, particularly the swimming part, it was hard to guage whether or not I was making any progress and whether or not all the training would hold firm when it counted most, such as on race day. I'm so grateful for the teammates in NZ who helped keep me on track with training, as well as the beautiful backdrop that I was able to run in.

This is on the running path in Auckland, around the main harbour. It was roughly a 10 km route that ended on a spit, which took you right over the waters, giving you a magnificent view of the city.









This is on the running path in Hamilton, a 5 - 8 km route along the Waikato river, which was located 2 blocks away from the motel. Looking at the colourful downtown strip, one would think that such a beautiful trail wouldn't be anywhere nearby. There were a couple of rowing clubs on this river, so it wasn't uncommon that we would be pacing ourselves against a scull or rowing crew (over my right shoulder)!










In life, you always have choices in how you spend your time. The trick is deciding on what meaningful really is. That's me in the middle with the white cap.