Every year the world seems smaller to me. Since I got online in ’98 I’ve had friends all over the world, but I think I’ve just gotten more involved with people worldwide, become more conscious of conferences I want to attend, things happening that I’d like to see and getting to know more people I’d like to meet sometime. For a long time I’ve been saying “I will travel more!” but so many things got in the way, whether it was work, money, life events or something else.
Last year I decided to not let this happen anymore. I finally got a passport and I started traveling more, and by taking some long weekends throughout the year I had a great traveling year outside of Pennsylvania:
- Arlington, Virginia (weekend, D&D Experience)
- San Francisco, California (long weekend, visited Google, went on a Sonoma County wine tour)
- Washington DC (weekend, Smithsonians, Zoo)
- Niagara Falls, Canada (long weekend 4th of July, my first time ever out of the US)
- New York City, New York (weekend, HOPE conference)
- Orlando, Florida (funeral, visiting family)
And even within Pennsylvania I finally hit several of the landmarks in Philadelphia, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Mutter Museum, Eastern State Penitentiary, Academy of Natural Sciences. WIthin Pennsylvania I finally wandered all around Lancaster and finally tasted shoo-fly pie, headed up to the Crayola Factory in Easton, went to the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine in Ashland, and went on a wine and cheese train ride at the East Stroudsburg Railroad. I finished off the year on New Years watching a giant fiberglass Peep drop in Bethlehem.
This year? Going international, but first I reviewed things in the past that made things so difficult.
Money. Always troublesome, but I’ve cut back in other places to afford trips, and while on trips kept to a strict budget. When it came down to it, I would rather go somewhere and be thrifty than not go at all. I really do know people all over the world, and I know loads of welcoming people who have extended the “If you’re ever in town and need a place to stay…” invite, which helps tremendously with expenses.
Work. I have a stable job with 2 weeks of vacation time, and now only my own work schedule to plan around. Plus, there is a chance I can go to a conference or two this year if I can prove it’s beneficial to my work (woo paid time off!). Ultimately I would like to have a job where I could work from anywhere anytime, I really envy the folks who have such flexibility. Even if I had to work 8 hours each day, I would love to do it telecommuting from a broadband connection in Belgium, Singapore or Peru and use the other 16 hours of my day and weekends to sleep and visit attractions.
Life Events. There is no avoiding these. I have lost three close family members in the past 5 years, and since I have to travel each time to see family it typically ate into my vacation time. All I can do is hope for the best and make the most of it when they happen.
So, with January almost over and all these grand plans in my head, where am I planning to head off to first?
For a week, from March 14-22 I’ll be visiting London!
And later this year? Lots of thoughts, keeping an eye out for Ubuntu Developers Summit locations and probably will do some more Europe traveling. Hoping firm up plans in the next few months.
Sunday, Jan 25th, 2009 at 7:09
Why don’t you check out #ubuntu-uk on irc.freenode.net and see if anyone is in your neck of the woods at the time for a ubuntu beer :)
Sunday, Jan 25th, 2009 at 8:37
Go for it girl!
Seriously, I hope that you have a good time in London, and check out a proper (if there any left that is) English Pub, at least one Fish & Chip shop and the London Eye which I used to be skeptical about, but has since grown on me…
I’m kind of envious, but C’est la vie… you deserve it I think.
Sunday, Jan 25th, 2009 at 8:43
Oh, and if you can check out the Marks and Spencers Department store in Oxford Street – the food department will entice you ;-)
Sunday, Jan 25th, 2009 at 8:48
@Paul I think I will :) a week goes by pretty quickly but it’d be great to do the pub thing one night with some locals
@RoboNuggie Cool. Thanks for the suggestions!
Sunday, Jan 25th, 2009 at 11:13
Have a great time in London! I was only there for one day so I no suggestions besides don’t almost break your ankle the day before arriving (like I did).
I travel to conferences frequently, and it is pretty fun, but really you don’t get to see much if you don’t take a few extra days off. If your work will fund conference travel, make sure you try to take a few days on either end (I like after if I’m doing a talk, this way I don’t have to think about the talk while visiting castles or volcanoes).
Sunday, Jan 25th, 2009 at 14:23
I love staying in hostels when I travel. However, I know not everyone is comfortable staying in them. My husband can’t stand them. But they’re inexpensive and usually of high quality – and cleaner than a few hotels I’ve stayed in. Have a great time in London!