In 2015 I found myself scheduling a business trip to visit Nijmegen in the Netherlands. The best airport was Schiphol in Amsterdam, and so I began the optimal price and scheduling dance known by anyone who’s looked for airline tickets. I had two options. Save hundreds of dollars, arrive a couple days early, and work from a café in Amsterdam, or arrive on time — business as usual. I chose the former.
This photo was captured in the afternoon after a focused day of work at a local café in the middle of Amsterdam. The sun embraced me with an almost-overwhelming-brightness as I emerged from the dimly lit café. I had a slight caffeine jitter. Soul ignited. I got a rush of energy — the sort that comes from exploring something beautiful and new. The type of energy that makes you forget about jetlag and the frustrations of an intense work day. No tourist attractions. I simply had a chance to walk through a beautiful place and experience it, because I had a logical excuse to work from Amsterdam for the day.
Look for logical excuses to experience something new every day, whether it’s a client meeting at a new café, working from a different city, or skipping Starbucks in favor of something eclectic and different on the go. Force yourself to be inspired.
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