Germany: Getting There

It's just the end of the third movie on the flight overseas. I don't really know what it was about... Steve Carell was trying to be serious? Awkward. If you've flown overseas you may be able to relate to how i feel right now. It's kind of an interesting situation. I tried the head on the table, I've tried the head tilt back (they don't build these chairs for the vertically blessed), I tried the equilibrium position yet efforts remain fruitless, i've drifted in and out of a sudo sleep with no refreshment, simplyfree frustration. Maybe you have also gotten to the point I have, where frustration has led to submission, "it is inevitable that i must remain awake." The result of this unfortunate position is that i caught the last ten minutes of a strange film and am now left in a perfect position to compose the first blog post of this awsome journey to connect with the family roots! I'm worried about how the first couple of days will go based on the unavoidable consequences of the current circumstance. Let's quickly evaluate these repercussions... First, and most prominant, the mother of all irritation, a headache. It will not only be the result of the sleep lost now but it is compounded by the last few crazy Provo nights (and that's crazy, believe me, haha... No regrets) before the trip. A headache is a problem that no amount of awesomeness can really resolve. If it hurts to think, it hurts to be. That's not a good state to be in when it's vacation time with the family. I believe that headaches are an extension of a much more common international travel ailment, energy drain (jet lag). It'll be hard to enjoy the European countryside if you can't stay awake to visually perceive and analyze it. Why be somewhere so cool if your out cold for a majority of it? My last worry is also related to the above concerns. I believe in metaphysical inertia (I love this topic, look for a post on it later), the angry will remain angry, the sad sad and the happy happy until some force initiates a change. If my vacation starts unpleasant I fear it may stay that way. How am I going to combat all this? I have learned a couple principles from two remarkable women that apply so perfectly and could make all the difference for this trip. Let me start by saying that the mind is a very powerful tool, you can control so much in your life if you learn to control your mind. For instance, climbing is a mental sport, as is running and most other endurance related activities. To succeed you teach the mind that your body can do so much more than what it's used to. Alright, principle number one I learned from an absolutely amazing girl whose wisdom far surpasses mine, I think you will agree that her council is undeniably sound. "You shouldn't worry about things over which you have complete control" (ooo, airplane breakfast just came! :). We may resolve that I don't have complete control over whether or not I get a headache, if i have enough energy or if i'm in a pleasant mood, but the second piece of wisdom argues that I do. Sister Hall, perhaps the best professor at BYU, shares with her choirs that "energy is a choice." We spend the beginning of each rehearsal ridding our minds of the stresses of other non-choir issues so that our time together is effective and meaningful. If you come in tired, you decide to be full of energy. If you come in stressed, you decide to be stress free for at least that hour, and so on. It really works!! I am going to put the combination of these two thoughts to the test. Regardless if I have a 'headache' or 'no energy' I will refuse to let it ruin the short time I have with my family in this beautiful country. I can do that because attitude, energy and enjoyment are all things that I control. Plus, I can always recover, sleep and worry later, but this time... This time is to be full of life and enjoyment. And who knows, maybe all of this positive thought will just cure the ailed mind and give my energy a boost! Looking forward to a great trip! I'll put my obnoxiously happy face on now!