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Thursday, January 30, 2020

Books For Travel

One of the greatest challenges I have every time I travel is deciding what books to take.

Traveling, for me, is a time to read.  It is seldom anymore that I feel like I have chunks of time which I can dedicate to reading and not to any other activity and somehow not feel guilty about it.  So any chance to be on a plane is a chance to read.

(Yes, I know, if I was truly business oriented I would be working on work when I fly.  Sadly, or perhaps happily, not the case).

The problem, of course, is deciding what to read.

Often times my selection is the stack of books next to my bed that I have purchased but not yet had the time to read (I always seem to be four to six books behind what I am currently reading).  But for this trip, I am trying to think things through more clearly.

I am coming to some kind of crossroads in the next year or so, a crossroads of what I am going to be and what I am going to do.  I understand this, even as I am not sure of the best way to think my way through it.  Books help me think through it; I need to come up with the best one's possible.

Originally I elected to take books which deal with Japan and swordsmanship - not unreasonable, given the fact that I am going to Japan.  But then I rethought things and decided to go more with books on leadership.  Then I changed again, and added in some books on philosophy.

It has probably changed again since writing this.

I am sure, whatever the choices were, they will reflect my best estimate of the need I have for clarity on this trip.  No matter what they end up being.

4 comments:

  1. Have a safe trip. God bless.

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  2. (Don McCollor)...I would suggest three books: A detailed travel guide to the area where you will visit (one that gives the details of small interesting things there). A detailed history of Japan. Another book completely different and unexciting (but not too boring) to relax with.

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  3. Don (Thanks for stopping by!) - I did a version of this. No travel book, as for training we literally go from the airport to the training center and then back to the airports. I debated the history of Japan but took writings on the sword from Takuan Soho. I did end up with a number of different books.

    One note for next year: coming home, my mind is exhausted. At best one book for the trip home, and not a deep one at that.

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