Travel Bag

            As I’m considering more and more travel, I’m considering an upgrade to my travel bag. I’m currently using a canvas Everest backpack, which is fairly spacious and fits well into the carry-on area. But it isn’t spacious enough. While I can squeeze about a week’s worth of clothing and gear with nothing to spare.

Conference Planning

            Since the success of last year’s fiction fest, I’m trying to worm my way into speaking and attending other conferences. This requires a great deal of preparation in the form of money and in pitching my proposals at the proper time. I’m slated to do two conferences this year, as well as attending a convention (purely for fun), too. This means very tightly evaluating my budget to see if it’s even possible to attend all of these.

            I think I can do it. I’ve been frugal enough this past year, that I think I can do this. But it wouldn’t hurt to start targeting conferences that are more local. Unfortunately, this is not New England where the states are clustered closely together. I think there are more conferences in New England in a month than in Arizona all year, and the driving distance is about the same. I’ll have to see if there’s a way to stack specific locations so I can enjoy multiple conferences in a region, and make it just one trip.

Leaves

            So I’ve been to Boston in July, November, March, April, and September. I’ve been so often I should get resident status (sorta). But one thing I’ve never been able to do is partake of the changing of the leaves.

CTRWA Fiction Fest Aftermath

            Fiction Fest was a success, and I'm not just talking overall, which it was, but my end of it. My presentation/Q&A went very well. I fulfilled my promise of ruining childhood fairy tales for everyone, but we all had a good time doing it (heh).

A Break from Summer

            I’m in Boston (about to go to Connecticut), enjoying a break from summer. Yes, it’s September, but in Arizona, summer can last until November. Triple digits will persist throughout the entire month, so I am really digging the cool of Boston right now (though it could be cooler still for my tastes).

Out of Here

            So I’m off to Boston where I’ll visit some dear friends before relocating to Connecticut for CTRWA’s Fictionfest, where I’ll be presenting on Fairy Tales. I just need to make sure I pack all the right stuff: magic beans, glass slipper, spinning wheel, apples, basket of goodies, fairy dust, leprechaun . . . nope, that’s the wrong kind of faerie. Get out of here, you!

No Summer Vacation

            Yes, I’m on a break from school, but that’s not exactly the same as taking a vacation. Once again money is the determining factor. I’m still planning (hoping) on taking a jaunt to the east coast in September, so that has neatly curtailed any other plans I might have.

            But oh how I long to leave the heated desert, especially in the next two months when the temperatures reach meltdown. I shall have to avoid going into the oven that is known as “outside” during that time.

            A perfect excuse to redouble my efforts in revising an older book, and to get done some much needed reading.

PAX East (Snow?) Bound

            Neither rain nor sleet nor snow nor dark of red-eye flight shall keep me from the appointed convention.

            So I am departing for Boston to indulge in a celebration of gaming, video and otherwise. It’s going to be a blast if last year was any indication. I’m really looking forward to some of the panels, and the awesome Indie games, which were easily my favorite thing about last year.

Tramping About

            I really want to do that. I remember last year, as I wrapped up my trip to Washington DC, I was tired, but I wanted to stay on. I wanted to take some more time and relax and do little trips to see even more.

            I’m firmly convinced that if I can manage to get the financial independence to do that kind of tramping, I will. The wanderlust is building again now that summer is here, and the list of places I want to visit continues to grow.

            A lengthy road trip sounds really good again. . . .

Back from Boston

            I thoroughly enjoy traveling, and especially going to writing conferences. There is always some difficulty in making the adjustment back to teaching after writing. Writers have a love and appreciation of words, of putting them together just so. A precise turn of phrase is a wonderful thing, and not just how it turns out in fiction. Properly constructed non-fiction stories and essays are just as beautiful.

            So when I come back and I see so many students who see language and writing as something to be avoided, something to be feared, my heart sinks. It’s heart to watch people trample on what you love.

            My only solace is that perhaps, just maybe, I can instill the love of writing and language in one student. It’s very rare that I get more than one, which is another sadness altogether.

Travel Tips: Souvenirs

            Along with photos, I’ve started giving up on the practice of collecting souvenirs while I travel.  It’s not that I’m against souvenirs, or that I think they cost too much (which, in most cases, they do). It’s actually a far more practical consideration of space and weight. I tend to pack very densely to begin with, so I don’t have a lot of space for these items.

            I’ve also grown weary of the typical gift shop fare. Most places all seemed to be stocked with the same assortment of shirts, mugs, magnets, keychains, and other knick-knacks. It’s hard to find a souvenir that really speaks to me, something that will not just sit on a shelf collecting dust. Consequently, I don’t get much in the way of souvenirs, anymore.

            However, when I do find something I want, in today’s world of online commerce, it’s possible to get souvenirs from a vacation well after the vacation. I’ll use my phone’s camera to take a picture of what I want so I can buy it after I get back home.

Travel Tip 4

            Another reason why I’m fond of the carry-on only packing is the travel that must be done when I arrive. On a trip to NYC, I did carry-on only, but it was the full carry-on and a personal item, my backpack. Moving through the subway and then walking through the streets with this luggage was doable, but hardly ideal. I can’t imagine trying to move through a dense metropolis while toting large check-in bags behind me.

            I’ve since ditched dual carry-on and moved to a single backpack as my only luggage. I can fit nearly a week’s worth of clothing inside and still have room for my gadgets and other goods. I can hop off the plane, onto the subway, and blend in perfectly with the urban environment.

            Who needs roll around luggage?

Travel Tip 3

            The task of packing and unpacking is problematic. I’ve found, most of the time, that I can pack things tightly leaving home, but it’s more difficult to get things just so for the return trip. Also, unpacking becomes difficult and time consuming, something you don’t want to do after a long flight, car ride, whatever. For this I recommend a combination of the Eagle Creek Pack-it folders and Shelves-to-go. The latter makes it easy to pack and unpack in a moment’s notice, while the former gives the ability to compress and wrap up the shelving bundle to save even more space.

Travel Tip 2

            With all the restrictions on flying, now, I’ve been doing my best to make my packing more compact. My thoughts on this are simple. If I have only a carry-on I always know where it is. Also, I don’t have to worry about checked bag fees and waiting on the luggage carousel. With this idea comes one fact that is unavoidable: in order to limit the amount of luggage, do laundry. I’m fine with this. Many hotels have laundry facilities for guests to use, and if not, use the hotel sink, some hot water, and a little shampoo. The little time it takes for this chore pays off in the long-run with not needing to pack large bags of clothing.

Recovery

            After every vacation, there needs to be a period of recovery. It’s paradoxical when that which recharges us mentally, spiritually, and emotionally will drain us physically. The act of traveling itself takes its toll, but clearly the other restorative abilities of travel make it all worthwhile. At least when done right.

Vacation Over

            I have returned from my travails. It’s time to go reflect on what I’ve experienced, catalogue photos and experiences, and slowly come to accept the realization that my free days are coming to an end.

Travel Tip 1

            I’ve been doing more and more flying, and while there are tons of amazing blogs about travel tips out there, I’m going to suggest something small that has brought me a lot of comfort. Before you fly, especially on a long flight, put on a brand new pair of socks. Nothing beats the feeling of a brand new pair of cushy socks around your feet. They’ll make the flight just a little bit more enjoyable.

DC Bound

            My stint in Boston is up, and I’m headed to DC to join my brother. It’s gonna be awesome to be in the Capital with another history nerd.

Road Trekkin'

I'm off to the fabled land of Texas to see friends (who are more like family) for a wedding. So I should be able to load up on BBQ and Round Rock Doughnuts. Yum. I love a good road trip.

Gearhead

I've been watching a lot of Top Gear on both BBC and History Channel, and I love the show. But I'm not a gearhead. I've spent an extensive amount of time working on my cars through the years, but I'm not the kind of guy that relishes all things car. I'm just not into the ultimate performance some people are. I would never take an engine apart, clean it, then reassemble it. That's not me.
However, I've always been drawn to cars. I couldn't wait to reach sixteen so I could drive, and I've always felt quite at home behind the wheel, even on long drives. And that's probably as far as I go with cars. I want a car I can take on a long, comfortable drive. Like many a teenaged-boy I had a poster of a Lamborghini on my wall, but over time (and reaching a height of 6'8") I know that such cars are not for me. Instead I find myself drawn to high-end luxury cars that offer style over performance. I want the long haul. I don't' need a car that can go 200mph or with the fastest 0-60 time or the ability to drift. I want a car that soars down the road at 80, but doesn't feel like it's moving at all.
I suppose my car choice reflects what I want to use it for most, an extensive road trip. I can't imagine a Ferrari or Lamborghini remaining comfortable after ten+ hours on the road. But a Bentley . . . hey, a guy can dream, right?