"The only way out is through" aka "Be a warrior" #traveledition

I subscribe, more or less, to the tenant that one's body and mind are tools that be exercised by one's will.  I will, therefore, I become. When faced with a difficult situation, come up with a plan and push through.  Revisit the plan as required, of course.  In the past ten years or so, I've applied this strategy on a good numbers of occasions from working years long challenging programs, working night shifts, and evening losing weight.

I like sum up this strategy as "The only way out is through."  On joining the team here in Toulouse, a new co-worker summed it up in slightly different turn of phrase, "Be a warrior." Whatever you call it, I applied it to my recent arrival in Toulouse.  Traveling for 15 hours is a bit fatiguing, but here is what I accomplished immediately after arriving in Toulouse (1430) before hitting the sack at 10pm.

Productive arrival in Toulouse.

- Made it to my hotel without touching my phone or GPS for directions.
- Spent 30 minutes trying to find a parking space the stupid Fiat 500 El Grande would actually fit in.
- Acquired charging cable for iPhone (lost in the DTW Sky Club) 
- Acquired groceries (water, bread, cheese, yogurt) aka emergency rations
- Interfaced with the photo booth to generate acceptable identity photograph
- Acquired stored value metro card w/10 trips (required identity photo)
- Acquired bike share subscription to VélôToulouse (required stored value card)
- Acquired share bike and rode to Dardy to browse appliances
- Acquired scale (for cycling induced manorexia) and rode back to hotel
- Acquired another share bike and rode to the apartment to checkout the scene on a Saturday night. It's quite quiet. But discovered the rear entrance is now locked up... frown emoticon

- Walked to the Japanese restaurant a few blocks from the apartment. Learned that California Rolls are called inverted Maki here. Acquired beer, miso, and chirashi

- Acquired share bike, rode back to hotel, purchased batteries for scale
- Walked around Christmas market.

- Did a good job keeping myself awake. Time to hit some melatonin