It’s been a few days since returning from Asia, and I wanted to share some thoughts of my trip. Things started off well teaching the REVO2LUTION RUNNINGTM certification in Singapore and Philippines.
Great group for the workshop in Singapore hosted by Fit Singapore!
At Marina Bay in Singapore.
Out to eat in Singapore and Philippines. They don’t use napkins in these countries.
Things quickly turned into a disaster when I got sick going to Shanghai. It’s no fun when you get sick in a foreign country, especially when people are demanding that they take you to the hospital. So my stubborn New Yorker came out. I’m not spending a night in a hospital in China, thank you very much. I’d rather just take my fever under the bed sheets and sleep in the hotel. I ordered a fruit plate from room service. And I didn’t see Shanghai at all.
A couple of days later, I flew to Taiwan for the fourth leg of my trip, happy to get out of China. But I really wanted to fly home to the U.S. In the Taiwan airport, everyone walks underneath a temperature scanner with QUARANTINE written above. I think my heart skipped a few beats as I walked through the scanner. The last thing I wanted was to be quarantined in Taiwan with a fever. Luckily, my fever was down. I kept walking past the scanner as fast as I could to get to customs, just in case someone planned to stop me.
I didn’t get to enjoy Taiwan much either, still not feeling well. But after the workshop, I got to do a little sightseeing with a pretty tour guide and go up the world’s fifth tallest building, riding the world’s fastest passenger elevator.
For my last meal in Taiwan, I ate at a restaurant in Taipei where celebrities are asked to autograph the walls. I didn’t have the heart to tell them I’m not George Clooney. So I signed it.
Despite getting sick and not being able to enjoy myself, there were moments when I was teaching the certification workshops that I had to stop myself and recognize what a privilege it is to be able to travel the world to pursue my own ideas, my own projects, my own passion. Few people have the opportunity to do that, and even though I can be a big baby when I am sick, I am truly grateful for the opportunity to share my passion on the other side of the world, even if my American jokes get lost in translation. I wish everyone could come up with an idea that grows from their passion and pursue it.
Next time, I will bring my own napkins to Asia…
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