Two Weeks. 3 Different Time Zones. 4 States. 6 Cities. Many Lessons.

Dallas. Birmingham. Atlanta. Sacramento. Los Angeles. Houston.

The past two weeks were intense, energizing, and meaningful. Client meetings, road journeys, community celebrations, and reconnecting with people who matter.

Travel is never just about movement. It’s about perspective.

🚗 Birmingham → Atlanta (Road Over Flight)

I always prefer taking Groome Transportation between Birmingham and Atlanta. This is not the first time.

Instead of flying, I choose the road.

Why?

• No airport security lines
• No early check-in stress
• Direct, comfortable ride
• Cost-effective compared to short-haul flights
• Time to think and reflect

When you add airport waiting time, boarding delays, and baggage handling – road travel often becomes the smarter option.

Efficiency isn’t always about flying higher. Sometimes it’s about choosing calmer.

🌾 Weekend in Folsom, California — Celebrating Pongal

In between meetings, I had the opportunity to visit my brother in Folsom, California.

I also attended the Pongal celebration organized by the Sacramento Tamil Mandram.

It was a beautiful experience:

• Traditional banana leaf lunch
• Cultural performances – Uriyadi (உறியடி), Kolam (கோலம்), Pongal(பொங்கல்), and Children’s Game
• Awards ceremony
• A lively Tamil debate

The debate topic: ஞாபக மரதி  – வரமா? சாபமா?

ஞாபக மரதி (Forgetfulness) – வரமா? (Blessing) சாபமா? (Curse)

I have always enjoyed watching Pattimandram on television and listening to both Thiru Raja and Thirumathi Bharathi Baskar. It was great to watch the live show in person this time.

Nice to spend time with family and community in between meetings. Thank you, Sacramento Tamil Mandram, for setting up such a nice Pongal Celebration. நன்றி.

🛣️ Experimenting With Ride Sharing (Hitch & Private Rides)

On another leg of my trip (Dallas → Houston), I tried something different.

The client meeting was confirmed well in advance, but I wasn’t sure where I would be before the meeting — which made flight booking tricky.

So I experimented with Hitch ride-sharing and private ride options.

Here’s what I learned:

• Flexible booking
• Door-to-door convenience
• No 2-hour early airport arrival
• Cost-effective compared to last-minute flights
• Surprisingly productive travel time

It also felt more human. Less rush. More real.

Not every trip requires the default choice. Sometimes optimization means exploring alternatives.

Leadership lesson: Don’t operate on autopilot.

🤝 Dallas — Friends, Team & Relationships That Last

While in Dallas, I got to meet my friends and Team Klizer, as they travelled to different cities, and we met them in Dallas on the way back home.

• Sudheer and Jaikumar — my college friends. Years may pass, but conversations resume instantly.
• Alfred and Bharat from my team — discussing clients, AI initiatives, and execution. As they travelled to different cities, we met them in Dallas on the way back home.
• Sheik — we worked together long back, and the friendship continues whenever our travel paths cross.

This is what I value most about travel.

Grateful for every meeting, every road mile, every conversation.

Thank you.