Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
No one is shot these days for over-running a deadline. They are merely reprimanded,
threatened with loss of bonuses, and reminded that their failure to achieve their goals will
be noted on their next performance review. And, so, everyone in the world of work plays
beat-the-clock.
Given how over-extended people are in their work lives, the time left over for personal
tasks needs to be organized with maximal efficiency. So, we make lists, prioritize them,
and race through our free time trying to get everything done.
When people join our tours in Italy, we realize that they are profoundly in need of time
therapy. The last thing they need is a tightly scheduled bus tour where they rush around
town and countryside to step out for brief moments before being hustled off to the next
“must-see”.
We ask people to respect departure times as a matter of common courtesy. But once we
head off on our daily adventures, we allow events to unfold. If one person is particularly in-
terested in winemaking or another peppers his guide with questions about castle defenses,
we might arrive at our lunch or dinner destination thirty minutes later than planned. The
restaurant has not given our table away; they are not trying to “turn tables” to maximize
profits; no one rushes us. Meals take as long as they take. How nice it feels to stop the
world, take a deep breath, and relax.
The moral of the story? A time-management approach to organizing one's daily activities
has many important benefits, but enhancing pleasure is definitely not one of them. Enjoy-
ing what we're doing in the present moment only becomes possible once we stop measur-
ing achievement as we rush toward the next goal post.
Authenticity
One of the comments that we hear frequently from Americans who travel in Tuscany is that
Tuscans seem “more real”. If you try to say specifically what that means, or what makes
it so, it's not that easy. Personal authenticity is a lot like beauty in that respect: we have a
heck of a time defining it, but we know it when we see it.
I have a photo of myself with two friends, Ugo and Narcisso, taken in the mid-nineties.
They are staring into the camera with such directness that it stops you cold. Even their nat-
ural reserve is set aside so that you can really see who they are. No trace of preparing a face
that makes you look your best. No “Big smile, now!” No secret desire to be momentarily
mistaken for someone more famous that you coincidentally resemble.
Search WWH ::
Custom Search