I’m exhausted. Five days into a week-long business trip and approaching seven time zones from home, I marvel at the stamina of people who do this all the time.
It’s been a productive trip so far. I’ve had good meetings with suppliers and partners and got to witness an important MOU signing in my industry. I’ve had the good fortune to be hosted by my country’s High Commission in London and am headed tomorrow to our Embassy in Bucharest tomorrow for more hospitality to close off another day of industry meetings
Canada House is right at Trafalgar Square in England’s capital city and is a magnificent century-old building, recently restored and now housing an incredible collection of Canadian art. With a terrace on top, the sightlines of the London skyline are second to none. I’m looking forward to seeing what Bucharest has to offer.
It hasn’t all been work, of course; I’ve had some time for some fun as well. The weather has been quite hot and we’ve enjoyed positively balmy evenings for the pubs and for walks along the Thames and in the public gardens. I even had time to spend a lovely evening catching up with one of my cousins, who I haven’t seen in a decade. The fact that the photos I was meant to give her are still in my handbag — well we’ll just have to chalk that up to jet lag.
One of the gentlemen on this trade mission with me travels almost monthly to the far east – often for just two days of meetings at a time. I’m in awe of his ability to stay focused and be productive. At one point during our first day, I was so terrified of falling asleep while sitting and listening to the presentations that I had to stand in the back just to be on the safe side!
We left London this morning on a day that was forecast to be 35C. Strange weather for the UK and it feels equally strange to spend this Canada Day on a plane, celebrating with cheap pretzels and trying to catch a few minutes of interrupted sleep. So Happy Canada to those back home, and for Canadians abroad, here’s a little taste of home — one of my favourite a capella groups singing our national anthem. See if you can name all the locations they showcase in this piece, and enjoy the bass notes at the end.
