The Top 10 Things I Learned In my Recent Travels

The past two weeks I traveled into China to work on shoes and then to Illinois to talk shoes and to see family. This is what I learned.

1. Change takes time - We are in the process of evaluating the supply chain. Any change in the supply change takes a great deal of time. You should always plan on the unexpected. 
2. Trains are better than cars - When I arrived in China I waited 4 hours for the driver to show up at the hotel to take me to the factory. When I left for the Airport on the last day I took the train. There is no waiting for the train. It shows up on time and is faster than the car. 
3. Sometimes there is no Class in Business Class - The flight attendants are always trying to make the long flights more comfortable for everyone. It would be great if everyone appreciated this fact. I witnessed some classless people in Business Class. 
4. Sleep is everything - The more I dial in my functional life the more I understand that we do not function well for long periods of time on poor sleep. I departed on Monday morning and the most continuous sleep I had that entire week was on the plane from Bejing to Chicago. It was 5 hours non-stop. I was not at my best. 
5. Find the Silver Lining in everything - That sleep on the plane was Devine. I can't imagine going through the winter Chicago went through this year but the Silver Lining is you made it through. It probably won't ever be worse than that. 
6. Corn is better than Snow - Driving through Illinois in the summer all you see is corn. This past week all I saw was white fields. I like the corn better. 
7. Bald Eagles rule - I see wildlife everywhere. I love it. I've swum with seals, paddled with Dolphins, and even been tracked by Mountain Lions. The Bald Eagle I saw on Saturday was special. So regal, so beautiful. The symbol of freedom. 
8. Pot Holes - I think this winter will mark the worst pot holes in history. There were holes in Chicago big enough to fit my entire car into. 
9. -5 degrees - I visited a running store in Wisconsin. Their Tuesday night run cut off temperature is -5 degrees F. Last Tuesday 60 runners showed up to run, it was - 4 degrees. That is amazing. 
10. ALS does not wait - ALS is a brutal disease. Everyone involved knows the progression and the disease simply does not wait for you to get ready. Two months ago my brother was standing with aid. Today he can move only one hand with extreme effort. There is no cure, there is no hope just progression. It sucks. The Silver Lining is I've spent more time with my brother and his family this year than all the years before combined and I love that. 

It's a good life….