Sunday, February 10, 2013

January (in review)


Went to Cancun for work.  Love traveling out of the country.  It is a great opportunity to change perspective.  Nothing is exactly as you expect it to be, like it usually is in your own country or community. 

I was traveling this time for "Work".  Oh, how I suffer for my job - LOL.  It was my firm's annual meeting, so there were many LONG meetings, but the intervening times were spent with a cocktail on the beach.  Oh, and apparently January is a rainy month.  Very Rainy.  With sunny patches.  And cocktails. 
 
I was debating on whether or not to include this trip in my challenge for a couple of reasons that don't seem like a big deal now, so in it goes.  Work paid for the airfare, and most of the lodging, and I used points for one night at a nice hotel in Cancun.  I attended meetings, networked with coworkers and muckety mucks. 
 
Most of the time I stayed at the Moon Palace resort - I had fun using my minimal Spanish skills, and loved listening to the ocean.  Warm breezes and the sound of waves crashing on the beach have to be my favorite things about Cancun.  The only thing I really bought was a small woven change purse to hold my pesos.  I'm planning on going back to do some diving eventually. 

AWESOME TRAVEL CHALLENGE!!!


 I have an Awesome travel challenge for myself! 
 
Each month I will go someplace new over a weekend.

"Yawn!" you say? No, no - it really is pretty cool - here's why:

  • The destination has to be in a different state then the one I originate from
  • I have to go for a purpose other than just going:
    • I have to meet and involve other people in a project, or
    • Join a group activity, or
    • Volunteer
  • Travel as light as possible
  • Document about the experiences that same weekend

 
I'll be using tools available to all of us:
  • Airbnb.com
  • Meetup
  • Use public transportation (or rent a car if it is cheap)
  • And I'll list the others as I discover them.

Getting there

One of the reasons this goal didn't start at the beginning of the year was that I was waiting for notification that my consulting contract was being extended.  So, Yay!  I'm employed for another 6 months.  The reason this is so important is that I fly to my customer site each Sunday, and fly home each Thursday.  As long as the cost is the same, I can fly anywhere else on the weekends.  Yup, I'm pretty lucky.