Greetings, all. I’m on my second week of business travel in a row, adding little of value to a project in “The Arch City”. I’ve gotten to meet some people I talk to on the phone all the time in person, but honestly, it’s not been that useful a week, all told.

This happens.

I did, however, get to spend a nice evening out for dinner with my friends Elizabeth and Duncan who live in town and are awfully nice about entertaining me when I find myself spending a couple of nights in one of the Marriott properties out by the airport. I’ve thanked you guys profusely already, but I just want you to know how much I appreciate the gesture.

There’s nothing like having friends willing to entertain an intinerant business traveler when he’s stuck away from home, and going through some personal turmoil regarding his lot in work life.

My latest career move (which, you’ll recall, I took on around the first of the year) hasn’t exactly been what I’d hoped it would be. It’s frustrating for a lot of reasons, is eating up a lot of my brainspace with stuff it probably shouldn’t, and exascerbating some other things I thought I had under control. This week, being stuck away from home (for the second week in a row) away from my support system (who I’m afraid I’m already overstressing with my issues) has been really tough.

The simple act of a friend opening up their home and life to you for a couple of hours, sharing a nice meal and a couple of small personal accomplishments, really means a lot.

Seemingl small acts of kindness and hospitality can have remarkable effects on others. As someone who experienced the benefit of one of those small acts today, I just wanted to say thanks, and hope I get the chance to pay it forward soon.