Travel Month(s), Part 3

From a big East Coast city and all its bustle and business, to a little hamlet in the Heartland at a backroads hermitage.  This was a week of contrasts and transitions.

Can you guess the city by these photos?  They were taken facing north from the 35th floor of a prominent hotel.  The broker who hosted nearly 20 meetings in 2 days had a suite high up, and the view was stunning.  A very nice break in between meetings...

Then, after only one day back in the office, it was off to a spiritual retreat center for another 3 1/2 days. And, boy, I needed it.  Definitely felt like a challenge to slow down from recent weeks, and to do more listening than talking.  :)

But the setting was conducive to silence.  Not only did they have "rules" around that, but the place was surrounded by farm fields, and almost "off the grid" entirely.

 The chapel was beautiful, in a forbidding kind of way.  As a guest, you only had limited access to the facility and the monks - and that only at a respectful distance.

Accommodations were sparse.

 So were the meals.  And definitely no football on TV; no TV at all.  Something needed to be done about that, and so a little exploring was in order to find some signs of civilization!

But, I came back a wiser man from the whole experience.  Well, maybe.  I certainly cultivated a grateful heart, and thankfulness for simple pleasures.

Next up:  Bermuda in November.