Fortunate.

I am fortunate. Just back from my second trip to Verona and my third trip to Turkey. It’s amazing that I would never go on my own, in my old career to these parts of the world, and yet I’ve found two really beautiful spots of the world. Verona isn’t a big city, but it definitely has it’s perks. One day I’d love to see a concert or opera in the old Arena there. Then you add in the food, the wine, the history, and the shopping and Verona is a really nice spot.
And then there’s Turkey. I’m so lucky that Turkey and the people we have come to know there have adopted me with open arms. The food has become so familiar. The cities and their streets have become second knowledge to me. I haven’t even stepped foot in Istanbul yet, but as for Izmir, Denizli, and some of the touristy vacation spots, they are all such a great find for me.
As I look back on 14 months in this new career, I know that I’ve been so fortunate to have made the move I did, right at the right time in my life, and that the risk was full of nothing but reward. And here I am on the edge of a whole new challenge. I am able to use my full repertoire of experience, skill, and calculated risk to my advantage, and it’s paying off in dividends. 2014 is going to open up a whole new world for me with this company. The wheels are already in motion to catapult me into a new role, something I was destined for from the very beginning. It’s going to be one fun journey, safe to say.

Song of the Day: Askin Nur Yengi – Sana Degmezmis

And He Was Oh Oh So Mad, And I Don’t Think He’s Comin, Comin Back…..

Don’t be alarmed. You won’t see anything here for two weeks.
It looks like this: YVR – MUC (Munich) – VRN (Verona). VRN – MUC – AYT (Antalya). AYT – DNZ (Denizli). DNZ – ADB (Izmir) – MUC – YYZ – YVR.
This is starting to become a habit….

If you really want to keep up, stay tuned to the FB page!
See you soon, travel safely!

Song of the Day: Been Around the World – Lisa Stansfield
This song deserved a much better video…

Hey, I’m Right Here So You’re Not Alone, Think It’s Time That You Move On Now, It’s a New Day It’s Gonna Get Better…..

The one thing about the Turkey trip that amazed me was sitting on the edge of the Mediterranean Ocean, having a cold beer, and thinking “How does a kid from Vancouver, raised in Edmonton, grew up in East Van, get halfway around the world buying Marble and Travertine Tiles straight out of the quarries in these ancient Ottoman Empire lands?” Pretty bizarre right!?!?!?
I tell stories to my coworkers in the building supply industry about my old life in the apparel industry and sometimes they just don’t get it either. Especially when I tell them stories of the Vegas trips, the trips to NY, meeting moguls and celebrities, buying clothing lines by the ten of thousands of pieces, and even getting a chance to design skus of my own here and there. It’s so weird how it’s so risky leaving something you’ve done, an industry that you’ve loved and hated for 15 years, and then are able to switch gears after only 8 months and never look back to it. Of course, I was incredibly lucky to be in the company that I’m in now, but still, I walk into retail stores these days and just shake my head. It is going to be a slow, bleeding death in the apparel world, especially for the big, titanic ships that just cannot adapt, change, or evolve.
Another thing that I appreciated about Turkey, the people there are just incredibly down to earth and humble. Of course, we stuck mostly by the coastline, where there were more tourists and increased population, but even in the interior where the rock quarries are, there were just really awesome people there. I have already adopted some Turkish vocabulary, and am now starting to think that I might have to bring the ninjas down there one of these trips. Well, we’ll see how that goes, maybe when they’re old enough to remember and appreciate it all (like my stance on Disneyland).
And things are even getting globalized in Turkey! With iTunes opening up in Turkey, it’s allowing some Turkish music artists to get out to the world, and opening up some world artists to Turkey! I even heard Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop” on the radio and top music video countdowns more than I heard it in Canada!
What’s best, I might have to go back again in September. Stay Tuned!

Song of the Day: Better – Aynur Aydin

Why Did Constantinople Get the Works? That’s Nobody’s Business But the Turks…..

YYZ -YVR – MUC – IST – DNZ – ADB – IST – BLQ – VRN – FRA – YYZ – YVR.
That will be me at the back half of September.
If you need a translator, the above is:
Vancouver – Toronto – Munich – Istanbul – Denizli – Izmer – Istanbul – Bologna – Verona – Frankfurt – Toronto – Vancouver.

That’s a lotta Airmiles.
I’m so blessed, I’m giddy.

Song of the Day: Istanbul (Not Constantinople) – They Might Be Giants