I love a gentle transition. Or, should I say, a deliberate transition.
I was talking with a friend on the weekend. She asked me how I was getting from the airport to where I am staying. I explained I was taking light rail, followed by a bus. It would take me 75-90 minutes.
She then commented, “sometimes it’s nice to sit on a bus and stare out the window; it makes for a gentle transition, doesn’t it?” I agreed immediately. It’s a bit of time for the psyche to catch up to where the body is.
I’m in one of those transitions now. A different one. Riding the train from Everett, Washington to Vancouver, BC. It’s a three hour ride. With Wifi. With power outlets. With great views — the above is from Birch Bay, near which I saw hawks, heron, and bald eagles. And from Vancouver, this trip will involve a water taxi to get to my actual meeting space.
This is not an arrival, a transition that happens with immediateness. It’s not zero to 60 mph in 4 seconds. It’s got some gradualness to it. Slow moving train for some good staring.