Minne-soooo-ta

new job, new office, new m-state to travel to. this time, work has sent me to the upper midwest, home of the twin cities...minnesota. of all the things i've ever heard or known about minnesota, it's about the civility of the people. they have a charm and calmness about them that i can only imagine comes after building generations of patience to survive the brutality of their winters. but whatever the root cause, minnesotans are some of the nicest people you will ever meet.

beyond boring you with the banality of endless meetings, racing my rental car between offices and hotels, shuttling between generic diner and faux-trending restaurants, i will just explain the sense of adulthood i felt after the trip.

i've been on business trips before, and have been working a 'real' job for nearly two years now...but this time, the responsibility is actually on me. the boss will actually turn to me, leaving me without the safety net that i once had. sure i have resources to turn to, institutional memory to rely on, but ultimately, the responsibility lies with me. and i've been uncomfortable with that situation for a while...but this trip has helped me, though not yet overcome, adjust to my new surroundings. and only time and experience will truly push me to independence and confidence.

but fret not, though my trip to the great state of minnesota didn't allow me the luxury of free time (i failed to explore the mall of america and i flew out the night before the famed state fair began), i did get to enjoy a twins game on the finest of minnesota evenings.