This past week I have had the pleasure of visiting Germany as part of my job.  I have had little time for reflection, but one thing that has stayed with me since arriving is how regardless of our origins we all laugh, cry, hurt and love in the same way.  I was able to meet one of my colleagues family and see his house in a beautiful rural setting.  This moment when we were first welcomed into the house gave me the instant feeling of home, yet I was literally on the other side of the planet from my own.  An amazing home, but more importantly an amazing aura disseminating from the family.  So often we allow our own world and our own selfish needs to carry us off into a world of isolation.  Realising that everyone has similar problems to your own really isn’t that hard, and once accepted allows us to appreciate what we do have.

As it also turns out, this was week one for a new employee of ours. For him it was to be a week of induction, training and social interaction.  A Frenchman, married with kids, we instantly struck a friendship, this flowed into the night with some beverages to keep the conversation a plenty…
As it turns out, he like me, has all the same problems in life.  We took stock of what really mattered to each other and how even though he lives in Paris, and me in Sydney, the world was so very very small.

Wuppertal, Germany

One thing I failed to find while here was the traditional architecture that I was expecting for Germany.  The reason a stark reminder of what has gone before in this land.  Because of the towns traditional industrial economy it was bombed to near non-existance during WWII.  Having spent the last few years studying European history as part of my double BA, it is interesting to take in how a place like this has been shaped by the war and how some 70 years later is a modern city only 3 hours from Paris.

Today, I will fly to Naples where I intend to spend the next 9 nights in various locations on the Italian Riviera.  I have a university assignment to complete for next Friday and what better place to write it then overlooking the ocean in Italy.  This week for me will be a time for reflection, a time to re-adjust my rolling five year plan.  I have booked nothing but a hotel, for me an experienced traveller, I am happy to ‘wing it’ and just go where my spirit takes me….

One person can change the world
Unconditional love can be so endearing….