I'm in America.  Together with nine Amsterdammers, I've travelled to Cincinnati, Ohio, for eight days of conferences with Equipping Ministries International -- learning interpersonal skills like listening and conflict management... and, in the meantime, enjoying a bit of the autumn season in my homeland.

I had a good trip over... amazing, actually, to see how enjoyable trans-Atlantic flight can be:  without kids... traveling during waking hours (the flight from Europe to America is always easier, from my point-of-view)... relaxed time frames between connections... content to enjoy the deliberate pause from e-mailing, telephone calling, and meeting with people.  It can be very therapeutic, actually.  I got to do a bit of reading (the USA Today, a few chapters from the Gospel of Luke, the interesting articles from the in-flight magazine, the early chapters of "Cannery Row")... I got to do a bit of journaling... I got to watch two moviews which I had been wanting to see:  "Evan Almighty" (which actually impressed me more with its theological insights and its effective pulling at emotional heartstrings, more than its pure comedic content) and "Ocean's Thirteen" (which is certainly not the most meaningful kind of film but nonetheless entertaining)... And all of that before noon (US time)!  What productive unproductivity!

Since landing in the States, my  body has paid for its respite, with interest -- in the form of jet lag and the vengeful return of my head cold which had been on its way out prior to my traveling.  Still, I'm glad to be here.

The conference has been great so far -- very insightful and informative, in spite of the jet-lagging-stuffy-head fog that surrounds me.  It's also been fun (and a bit surreal) to see my home state with several of my Amsterdam friends, but (up to this point) none of my Ohio friends.  There's still much more to come on this American adventure... But fo rnow, I'm just glad to be here.