Chateau Lloyd

Yes, this post title is an obvious homage to The Hobbit, but that's because the J.R.R. Tolkien's little book is so applicable.

Lord of the Rings gets most of the press (for good reason), but The Hobbit has a lot of useful things to say, which is why Peter Jackson's film atrocities attributed to it represent an artistic crime of the first order.

In any event, having just returned from a week-long business trip, I am once again driven to reflect on the truths contained in that little tale.  First and foremost, the subtitle reminds us that for most of us, that's all we ask of our journeys: to go there and come back again.

This doesn't always happen, which is why my departure prayer always carries the request that I be brought safely "there and back again."

Even when it does, we often find ourselves changed by the journey and that home has also changed, sometimes in profound ways.

Such was the case on this trip, and like Bilbo Baggins, I find myself coming back to a different place than I left (though in my case, the change is a joyful one).

I will here throw yet another shout out to the Lord of Spirits podcast, which was my traveling companion for much of the journey.  While some may dislike the giggling pop-culture references, I find them refreshing.  When making a long drive, laughing now and then does wonders for maintaining alertness.