Traveling, Such Hard Work

Okay, so I decided to keep the two quotes that speak to me the most as I'm writing this post, because they have impacted my life in different ways.

I've done a lot of traveling and living in different places.

I'm originally from Long Island, and my graduating class was over 1,000 students in a suburban public high school.  I've worked in Brooklyn, NY, lived in Queens, NY.  I've taken the Long Island Rail Road, the New York City Subway, the New York City Bus, and I've even had to walk a ways to get to work after all that.  The longest my commute use to be was 2 1/2 hours each way.  Ugh!

I've lived and worked in Kansas City, Missouri; El Paso, Texas and wonderful New Jersey.  Growing up in New York, I've driven through New Jersey, but I always assumed that the "Garden State" was a misnomer from the 1950s.  How wrong was I.  They even have Cranberry Bogs in New Jersey.  Who knew.

If that wasn't enough cross-country travel, I've even done the globe trotting as well.  I've worked in two Combat Zones in the past five years.  There is a reason why neither place is on the "Top 5 Vacation" locations, let alone top 500.  It took anywhere between 2-3 days just to get from the US to those remote locations.  Third-world is being way too nice to these places.

I'm so happy I'm back in the land of the living.  Excess galore!!!!!

Because of where I was, I was able to go on two International cruises in less than a year.  I've been to 10 countries, not including traveling to/from my home away from home.

Great fodder for my novels.  In the time I was over there, with having nothing to do (think big bubble, in purgatory - between heaven and hell and you can't go anywhere but a 2 mile radius) but work, sleep, work some more, I had a couple of hours before sleep where I could come up with great ideas for my upcoming novels.  I have more than 10 ideas for upcoming novels, including at least 4 novel series.  How cool.

Now, if only my hand can write as fast as my mind can think it.  Slow down already, mind.  No, wait, hurry up fingers, write faster, mush!

-G

You're probably wondering where the fear came into play?  Well, I did spend, total time 26 months total in two different combat zones, plus, I moved away from all my friends and family, moving cross-country.  If that isn't scary, I don't know what is.

------- Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -- I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference

--The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain. --Dune by Frank Herbert