I spent a good portion of the day in the car yesterday. I enjoy driving, as it provides me with an opportunity to reflect, often in different ways than if I were to do so while sitting in the chair, working outside, etc.
I began the day in the office, and then left to do a presentation for our science program, Science 21, for a district on Long Island (about an hour away from where my office is). After that, I left to head up to Albany, for our quarterly curriculum and staff development gathering.
All told, I probably spent about four hours in the car yesterday, which, at least for me, is a long time. During that time, I got to think quite a bit about a few initiatives I’m working on, and also do some reflecting on personal aspects of my life. I even got to set up a doctor’s well visit for my oldest daughter.
During the second half of the drive, I was joined by my supervisor, and that gave us some great uninterrupted time to discuss current and future department happenings. While we work closely together on a daily basis, it is rare for us to have two hours to discuss ideas without there being a meeting, or separate conversation, we each have to attend to.
Of course, the idea of the drive could be replaced with anything that allows us time to think, to ponder, and to discuss. For me, a drive does that, and even though obstacles like traffic and bad weather can get in the way, the value I take from the additional reflection time is incredibly important!