Image by Kristie’s NaturesPortraits
I’m in an airport as I write this post, heading to the Netherlands for a business trip. It’s my first flight to Europe in about 10 years and my first trip (period) in almost two years. Here’s some random (but hopefully useful) thoughts as I wait for my first flight:
- I hope there’s free WiFi in all of the airports. Probability = slim. However, there is free WiFi where I am at the moment.
- It would be nice to have an iPod Touch or a smart phone for this trip – it would save me having to drag out the laptop at each step and potentially drain its battery if I can’t find a plugin.
- It looks like I can carry on all of my luggage, which is awesome. I’ve gotten better at packing light(er) over the years.
- I have an iPod full of podcasts and music, which I think will make the 0verseas flight tolerable – I haven’t had one on a trip like this before. iPod is one of the best investments that I’ve ever made.
- I have a soft phone (I think this is the correct term) on this computer, so I think it will let me call home without incurring long distance charges.
- At a guess, I’d say about 40% of the people in this airport (a small one: only three gates) are using laptops, portable or wireless devices. I see a lot of newspapers and a few books. There are about 30 people in viewing distance. At most, I think there will be sixty passengers here. Again, it’s a small airport.
- I’m doing much of my normal social media routine here in the airport, which is a first for me. When I used to travel more often I always had a laptop with me but more often than not there was rarely any wireless available for me to hook into. I never had a smart phone and rarely had a regular cell phone.
- In short, this is the first “wired” trip that I’m taking, or that I feel like I’m taking. Maybe you’re used to that. I’m not, so it’s quite interesting to me. I feel like a Chris Brogan or a Louis Gray for about 15 seconds in terms of what seems continual Web access. Not quite Scoble class connectivity (but then who is?)
- I expect to use a GPS for the first time with the rental car that I’m picking up tomorrow.
- Gee, I’m really blowing my somewhat illusory cred as a tech or social media savvy blogger, aren’t I? (never really considered myself tech savvy or an early adopter; I just happened to join Twitter about a year before it really started to get mainstream attention).
- I wish I could Web browse on the international flight, but somehow I don’t think I’ll be able to.
- Usually I buy a ton of magazines, etc. for my flight, but I’m going to try to travel light. Oh, OK, I’ll probably buy some. It just seems like a waste when I would only need them for the flight.
And that’s that. Posting will probably be light this week, but I’ll try to publish at least one post from the Netherlands.
It's surreal, isn't it? In august of 08, I took my first trip to a convention with my iPod touch (which I subsequently damned myself to connectivity by trading up to a blackberry) – but it was very different being in at least email and partial IM connection with people at home.
It was really fun to see the tweets fly back and forth between you and Brogan the other day about possibly meeting up as you passed each other on layovers. Blew me away that this kind of thing can happen now, compared even to say two or three years ago.
Hope the trip's treating you well.
Trip's so far, so good: just trying to adjust the body's internal clock and catch up on some sleep.
Would have been nice to meet up with Brogan, but it did not happen, alas. If anything could have made it happen, though, it would have been Twitter.
Praise Be The Tweet.
