Letter from the Editor

Life and Times of JWN

Road Trips: The Spice of Life I love to travel. Many of you may travel for work or for pleasure on a regular basis. At times it may be frustrating or expensive, long or filled with challenges, but there is something, to me, about getting out and mixing up the routine we may settle into in our daily lives. Here are some of my accounts and a few observations about the classic road trip. This week brought a few different excursions from my humble abode in Geneseo, New York, across most of the state and back. On Tuesday, as mentioned last week, I ventured to White Plains, New York with my mother to see my older brother, Chris Norman, get recognized for his achievements at the New York - Presbyterian Hospital. (Click here to read Chris's VIP Profile featured last week). The trip was a bit frenzied, but great. I buzzed home to Kirkwood, NY, Monday evening after a substantial day of activities, arriving to a comfortable bed at 14 Valley Vista Court at 11:30 PM. Tuesday started early with the trip down to White Plains, arriving at the hospital at about 2:15 PM. After the ceremony, Mama Norman and I took Chris to dinner and then made our way back to Kirkwood, arriving at about 10 PM. I awoke at 4:30 AM the next day to get back to Geneseo to catch my 8:30 AM class; the heavily berated academic time slot of the college student. (I'm a morning person though, so it doesn't phase me too much). You may be wondering, "Joseph, how did you manage your academics?" Thanks to my digital recorder and some good friends, I just recorded the lessons. Two places at once? Not a problem. Friday, I partook in a classic college road trip; a 17 hour trek to SUNY Cortland to visit my housemate Shane Zanetti's brother Jake. We packed the car to the gills with people, jamming five of us in Shane's little Audi, and rocked and rolled to Cortland from 8 PM Friday to 9:30 AM Saturday. The trip involved four hours on the road, little sleep, much socializing, and an inordinate amount of pizza. Quite simply, it was incredible. Now, why am I telling you all of these travel stories? It all comes back to my observation in the beginning, there is something about a few spur of the moment trips that reinvigorate you by taking you out of the norm. NOTABLE: On your next trip, whether it is for business or pleasure, don't think of it as an obligation, but rather an adventure. This simple change in mind set will make the experience much more fulfilling. In this life our attitude and our word choice shape our reality on the world. If we insist on seeing and speaking about things in a positive light then laughter will pervade our conversations and joy will set foot in our hearts. Some Norman Style Travel Tips: 1) If you're caught in the airport, pick up a book in the bookstore and expand your mind. The Notable and Newsworthy: VIP Profiles concept was inspired from a book (Jeffrey Gitomer's Little Black Book of Connections) that I took time to read in the Atlanta, Georgia airport on my way back from a national leadership conference in Austin, Texas last fall. Had I not been laid over, I might not be writing to you right now. 2) To make traveling fun, bring a friend. If you can't find somebody to go with, give me a call! The shared experience of traveling together often creates not only a great story, but usually a nice bond between the participants. This is especially true when you're driving to the destination. Remember: Don't think of travel as an obligation, but rather an adventure. The challenges it will inevitably provide are simply opportunities in disguise. Make the most of them! Happy trails, ~JWN