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Audrey bought a Stevie Wonder album this week. I forgot
how much I love his music. It is just joyous and good. I
love R&B, but as Audrey noted, because of the
whiteness of our upbringing, it isn't a default
staple. We all need a little Stevie in our lives.
I had another trip on the calendar. Within a day or two of
leaving, I started feeling sick. It might have been Covid,
but it was likely just the flu. Luckily, Audrey had pushed
me to get my vaccination. I took it day by day as the
departure date got closer and closer. Leaving my wonderful
routine with my gurls is hard enough, and feeling sick
would give me the reason to back out.
I really love the view of the world from my chair. We pay
a premium for our view of New York City. We've been
here three years now, and I am still not sick of staring
at the skyline. I could easily have cancelled my trip. If
it had been for a job, I would have. I was pretty sick,
but because I run my own business, I opted to suck it up,
mask up, and get on the plane even though I felt like
shit.
So I packed my bag. I have a new backpack instead of the
old roller bag, and I love it. I got really sick of the
noise of my wheels on European streets. The only downside
of the new bag is that when I pull it out, Poppy knows
what it means, and she sends me all the signals.
Last trip, she put a ball and a bone in it. This trip, she
just lay next to it in her "I am not going to look at
you" position, which is a sign she is not happy with
you. She knows how to tug on the heartstrings. I felt sick
enough already. I really could have just stayed home.
I kissed the gurls goodbye and went downstairs to grab my
Uber. I have been taking the A train to JFK, but
Scandinavian Airlines flies out of Newark. So Uber it is.
They have a new code that pops up, and your driver has to
enter it when you get in. Have people been taking other
people's rides?
To get to Newark Airport, you ride toward downtown and go
through the Lincoln Tunnel. The whole area is under
construction because they are putting in a second tunnel.
It's always a bit of a cluster to get through, but
this was a Sunday, and things were pretty easy.
For being in New Jersey, Newark isn't that bad of an
airport. The security lines are pretty short, and the TSA
scanning equipment is pretty modern. I always make sure I
get there early, but every time I fly out of there I end
up with almost three hours to spare. Oh well, better safe
than sorry. I felt like crap, so I just curled up next to
the gate.
I got to Stockholm at 6:30 AM. I only slept about 45
minutes of the whole 7+ hour flight. It was miserable. I
could barely breathe. My throat and head hurt. I just sat
there watching movies with my eyes mostly shut. I'm
pretty good at just sitting in a hellish state. It is what
it is. Once I got to Stockholm, I made my way to the
train.
The train to central Stockholm is really nice. Very
comfortable. Very modern. It took 20-some minutes, and in
my book, a train like that is a sign of a modern city. I
spent the next couple of hours in the central train
station because I knew I wouldn't be able to get my
room yet, and I like people-watching in train stations. I
got myself a cup of chai and some juice, and just sat and
watched people wander by.
After getting bored of the view, I made my way to the
Clarion hotel. It was a little cold and drafty in the
train station and raining outside, so I figured the hotel
lobby would be a better place for my sick ass. I was
coughing more and more and beginning to worry that I had
made the wrong decision about taking this trip. The hotel
lobby was definitely more comfortable, but I still had
about four hours before I could get my room.
Once lunchtime came and went, I figured I'd better
eat, even though I really wasn't feeling it. I
didn't want to walk far. There was a nice little
sushi place across the street, run by a mother and
daughter. I got some sashimi and white rice and headed
back to the hotel to eat. It was exactly what my airplane
gut needed.
Stockholm reminds me a lot of the Pacific Northwest,
specifically the Seattle area. It is nicer and older than
Seattle, but the weather and architecture always trigger a
bit of that old feeling. The people are very different,
though. They seem friendlier and will smile at you on the
street.
When I got back to the hotel, I was able to get my room. I
didn't care about the usual rule of forcing yourself
to stay awake, and I crawled into bed after a quick bath.
I only slept for about three hours, but it was glorious. I
spent the rest of the evening working and nursing my cough
with cough drops, glasses of water, and a delusional
belief that I would be feeling better by the time the
conference started. Luckily, day one was just an
unconference, which I opted to skip so I could keep
getting better.
I went to sleep around 9:00 PM, but by midnight I was wide
awake. There is something magical about the liminal space
of a hotel room in a foreign country when you are jet
lagged, especially when you have lots of ideas to think
through, Claude to help crunch the numbers, and a 1960
Miles Davis concert from Amsterdam playing on the
YouTubes. I lay there until probably 3:45 AM, just
thinking about the complexity of my work and the market
today.
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It is Monday, and I am feeling about 85% back to normal.
I'm not coughing. I don't have a headache. After
a wonderful breakfast in the lobby, I slept through the
first part of the day. Since then, I've just been
working. I just got back from a very nice dinner at the
hotel restaurant, and I'm in my room for the night. I
think I am ready for this conference. I have two full days
of peopling ahead, plus a third day for a separate event
downtown. Then it's back home to NYC. I'm glad I
came, even with the rough journey. It will be worth it.
I'll let you know next week.
"It is splendid to arrive alone in a foreign
country and feel the assault of difference." -
Frances Mayes
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