KC.

Last week was Kansas City, Missouri. It was my first time to KC, although about a year ago I flew into the airport there and drove a short distance into Kansas. The city was charming - metropolitan, but still had a community feel about it. The nature of my job means that I'm usually working with different teams of people every few weeks. I hadn't met any of this team in person until we all arrived at the airport. Fortunately, the four other team members were very easy to get along with and that made being out of town a bit less annoying (more on that later). We were able to work hard and get a lot accomplished, while enjoying two great dinners at Lidia's (I have also been to her restaurant, Becco in NYC -delicious!) and Bristol.

A few facts about Kansas City:

• The city is famous for its Kansas City-style barbecue,
• The metro area has a population of just under 2 million,
• The city was formed in 1838 at the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas rivers.

The night before I was to catch my flight, J and I grabbed dinner during which I had an epiphany. I like to think I'm open to change, that I am flexible and I can go with anything, but during dinner I realized big changes (i.e., living in limbo for 9+ months and then moving cross country) are easier for me to handle than little changes (i.e., finding out Monday I have to board a plane Tuesday). When I shared this thought with J, he focused in on the issue a bit more precisely - he pointed out that I am fine with change as long as I'm in control. Whoa - he's right. After this I decided I need to embrace the flexible attitude I like to think I have. After all, how many years of flying to random locations across the country and sometimes globe on somebody else's dime (understanding I'm helping them make dimes) do I have left? Like Winston Churchill said, "Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference."