At several points along the journey of this blog I have changed the title. This was representative of what was going on and (most importantly) where I was. All along each little tidbit of prose has been a missive from my mind and counts as a little Byrd Dropping.

When I started the journey it was The Hole on the End of the Bible Belt, representative of my life in, around, and all throughout the place I call home but I moved. I deployed to Afghanistan as a civilian where my “uniform” was a different set of clothing. No business casual and no neckties (I love neckties) so it became A Year Without Wearing a Tie. Traveling the world and especially Afghanistan I had an opportunity to see not only the world but the US from outside. And it was eye-opening. Learning about a completely different corner of the world was incredible. I got to see some incredible sights, meet some wonderful people especially Afghan, and grew a special place in my heart for somewhere I may never get to see again. Eventually that ended and I returned to a new position back home in LA (that’s the original LA, Lower Alabama).

For most of that time my blog was messed up and I didn’t post but soon enough I got an opportunity to take my family with me to see the US from outside and we jumped in both feet first. Living in Europe was uncomfortable and yet incredible. It was then that Outside the Comfort Bubble became the name. We traveled, we saw, we learned, we experienced. We were uncomfortable but experienced life as other see it. We ate sausage Berliners in Berlin; waffles in Belgium; a hamburger in Hamburg; a frankenfurter in Frankfurt; fries, toast, and bread in france; Nürnbergers in Nürnberg; cheese in Switzerland; and there were sausages in both Vienna and Poland. It wasn’t just about food but we ate schnitzel, escargot, and all measures of food that are common in places other than North America.

We traveled as much as we could. We saw Paris (like New Orleans without the urine smell), we saw the Alps (they take my breath away every time), we saw Switzerland (where their hospitality outshines the extreme hospitality of the South), and we absolutely fell in love with Budapest. But there was more. And there is still more to see. But family needs brought us back.

So we’re back in LA, in the hidden jewel of the State of Alabama and ready to see things with a newly opened set of eyes. No doubt you will roll your eyes as I sound like “that guy” who talks longingly of things done differently in another world. But the observations continue, the opportunities abound, and like the spice, the observations must flow.

Byrd Droppings for all. Now with Cosmoline.