By Mark Buckshon
Our recent vacation in the Black Sea area combined some diverse experiences. For a week, I bicycled in Bulgaria and Southern Romania with two PhDs and a MD, who I had never met before (and didn’t even know I would be cycling with) until I met them in Varna, Bulgaria.
Then I joined Vivian in Bucharest, Romania, to see the site of the 1989 revolution, when dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu was executed on Christmas Day. Near the hotel, I had lunch with the company’s offshore administrative assistant, who has worked with us for almost a decade but has only communicated by email. Then I headed to Turkey, to the Mediterranean resort community of Antalya, where both Vivian and I recuperated from COVID-19 in an AirBNB. (While we were lucky to encounter only mild infections, the COVID meant that, outside of essential grocery shopping, we didn’t leave our accommodations.)
The experiences allowed me to connect geography and history; setting the Ukraine/Russia war in its regional and historical context. I could also contextualize our business and its successful combination of remote work, regional/local content, and specialized industry focus. Immersive travel helps to clear the air and spurs creativity.
It looks like we’ll be staying put at least until next May. There’ll be no winter escapes. Instead, I will focus on improving editorial quality, reducing costs and discovering new market opportunities. I’m glad that I can see the world; and equally appreciate the security of a stable home.
Mark Buckshon is the former publisher of Ottawa and Ontario Construction News. He can be reached by email at bu******@cn***.com.
