I’m one who’s thankful for small miracles. The decision to leave my job to pursue another position with another company was a huge one and the positioning, the pitting of prospective versus present employer, and all the requisite negotiations, were tiring for me. And it was with a sudden flash of foresight, when I had made my decision but couldn’t wrangle any further finances out of my new employer in this long courtship, that I found a way to wring a bit more: I would ask for time. No, I couldn’t start at the beginning of September, but rather the following week. And what fell into my lap was the gift of time. I wanted a holiday and I was going to take one. My wife Catherine proved her understanding yet again and she encouraged me to use the time to travel. Who knows when I might next have an entire week without any work obligations. As she was appearing in a play that was to have its premiere the following Friday and would be busy with rehearsing, the time felt right to take off and north was the direction I was to go. I had vowed to be back on Friday evening for the opening so I packed the car and headed out in the dark of an early Sunday morning.

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