Lonely Planet February

I helped a friend go book shopping the other day. It was for a travel guide for Poland. Specifically a Lonely Planet travel guide, as these are known as the most complete and accurate for most destinations. Lonely Planet takes the unfamiliar traveller and shows them an area in a way they can enjoy and join in with. Making them, ironically, non-lonely travellers.

Maybe it's because I didn't buy a book. But this particular traveller is having a lonely February. You see, my friend's travel guide for Poland is with her in Poland right now. And before she heads back I'm leaving for Atlanta. I get back from Atlanta and head back out to Brazil, during which time my friend will be using her San Francisco travel guide. It'll be March before two of the planet's lonely travellers get to share much more time.

Thankfully February is also too full be be truly lonely. Two trips, North and South American for 8 days each. Tons of work, including receiving training, customer visits, software demonstrations and delivering training. And friends! In Atlanta I hope to see friends I haven't visited with in a year.

And perhaps best of all, for keeping my spirits up and stress down, I'm back into my exercise regime. Now that the bedroom has been moved, the old small bedroom has been converted to a fitness room. I have room to use the weights and equipment. And even my bicycle (my precious) is able to live upstairs with me, rather than in the cold basement storage. Each night in Atlanta I expect to be swimming laps in the hotel's indoor pool or sweating on the cardio equipment. And I won't be at all surprised if I loose another pound by the time I'm back.

So I can't really complain. It's all pretty good. But if I had to make a list of all the things on this lonely planet that I would most like to fill my time with... well, the number one spot would refer to a friend in Poland. The only thing I can do about that is wait. And maybe play with the weights.