Man, it's good to be home.
Don't get me wrong, I had a great time on my 11-day light-speed tour of Germany, France and Spain. Maybe it was the 20-hour travel day from Munich to Amsterdam to Newark and finally to Milwaukee, but today has felt especially dramatic.
It feels like I've been gone for about two months.
Everywhere we visited in Europe was exceptionally cool. I expanded my horizons, saw amazing art, met unique people and drove 135 miles per hour en route to Paris. But by the end, I missed my life in Milwaukee.
Stepping off the plane, Milwaukee seemed different, even though I know the perception was all in my head.
Last night, everything looked huge -- our modest house, our dog, our TV, our bed, our shower, you name it. This morning, driving in to work, Milwaukee's skyline looked tiny but spread out and sparse. I felt like I was discovering Milwaukee all over again, surprisingly invigorated at work and eager to delve into our movies section redesign. I had to make myself leave at 6 p.m. after a 10-hour day with hardly a break. I'm not complaining, either. I had a really clear and focused head today.
And yes, I had Qdoba for lunch, and it tasted great.
The moral of this blog: A great and rewarding vacation, for me, doesn't need to be a week on the beach. Even during a busy vacation I can recharge the batteries.
But I'm done walking 10 miles a day and eating a baguette at every meal. For now, I plan on catching up on some TV and snuggling with the dog. That's as far as I've got planned ...
Andy is the president, publisher and founder of OnMilwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 after living on the East Coast for nine years, where he wrote for The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau and worked in the White House Office of Communications. He was also Associate Editor of The GW Hatchet, his college newspaper at The George Washington University.
Before launching OnMilwaukee.com in 1998 at age 23, he worked in public relations for two Milwaukee firms, most of the time daydreaming about starting his own publication.
Hobbies include running when he finds the time, fixing the rust on his '75 MGB, mowing the lawn at his cottage in the Northwoods, and making an annual pilgrimage to Phoenix for Brewers Spring Training.
