Life is 10% what happens and 90% what we make of it.

While I have known this, and it is been espoused by some of the people closest to me for years, like my business partner Joel and sister, Lori, I really saw it on this last trip.

All throughout this six weeks, I saw people who in all outward “appearances” have less than I do, yet they seemed happier than most people I see in America. In Varanasi, India, for example, I saw people overjoyed just to be swimming in the Ganges. For them, it was a pilgrimage, and the culmination of much planning.

Since I should keep this short, I want to skip to the very very end of the six weeks when I saw something really wonderful. Well, horrible, but wonderful:

During our farewell dinner, one of my travelers accidentally fell into the pool, wearing all of his clothes (and IPhone). It was such a bummer, and definitely a first for Zoom Vacations. He could have made a big stink about it, or gotten very upset. Instead, he just brushed it off, and was so charming, that I can guarantee that everybody in the group liked him even more after seeing his reaction. Truly, I think everyone thought even more highly of him. He quickly changed into dry clothes, and came back to the party.

I was so inspired by his class, maturity, and caliber. I am always impressed when someone turns something “negative” into a positive.

It also got me thinking that so much of what I learn on these tours comes from my fellow travelers.

Life is too short to concern ourselves with things that really don’t matter.