Where Is Hawkins?Where travel is cheaper than psychotherapy.

So I’ve been on a rampage and finished the London overview and Nick’s London tips. Feels pretty good.

Now I’ve realized that I get to go to London on the 11th. No hotel yet. You’d think I’d have learned my lesson, but NO.

I did the math today while spacing out during a Forbidden City training at the Museum that in 2003, I averaged spending $490.08 for every 10k qualifying miles flown on AA. Thus far, it’s $414.80 in 2004. I just have to keep that up, but I know I won’t be able to.

I finished the 12 hour/36 hour in Paris guide today. It’s available for perusal and comment.

And Berlin photos are posted, sans comments.

“It’s a trick. Get an axe.”

This, for some reason, makes me feel weird, but hurray for first class flying.

Libya, here I come. Eventually…

Working on travel tips for London and Paris for coworkers. It’s pretty rough – I never knew how much of a pain in the ass this was. I’m not attempting to rewrite any good travel books, but mainly to attempt “route optimization”. That way, you can accomplish a lot in a little area. I just hope I’m not relied on for everything and they’ve done due diligence. I don’t want to be blamed for their shitty vacation.

I probably won’t write a section on “How to smuggle Cuban cigars back into the US”, because that would be very bad and they will kick your ass.

I sent out 14 postcards from Berlin, so hopefully they’ll arrive within a week or so. That’s about €20. Never let it be said I’m not a generous guy!

Edited 24 December 2004: I get a lot of hits from Google on “How to smuggle Cuban cigars”. And they lead to this post. You might want to check this link instead.

Jilted Again!!!

So, in the summer of 2002, I inadvertently set a couple up and they got married. However, when they were discussing wedding plans, they mentioned March or April of ’04. So I emailed them and said, hey, when’s the wedding? Well, they got married last month. Fuckers. That’s #2!

Today, workplace theft reared its ugly head. It’s just amazing to me that nothing is safe at work.

I’m so tired. I was hoping that travelling would help free my mind, but it didn’t. When I was in Berlin, I had fun and didn’t think about the office once but then I got hit today with the stress of the days that I was gone, including the weekend.

Berlin was totally amazing. I do need to go back – only when my German has improved to the point where I don’t feel stupid. That’s one thing that holds me back from travelling as much as I’d like – the stupidity that I feel when I can’t converse. I’m a quiet guy by nature, and generally when I speak, it’s for a reason. And when I have to speak in a foreign country, it makes me feel powerless. I did get to walk along a bit of where the Berlin Wall once stood. It was very unusual because the significance of the event never really meant anything to me (of course, I was 12 at the time).

I fought a really bad cough/cold something on the way back – chills, achy joints, and a cough. Ate Fisherman’s Friends (one and a half packs on the way back). Still feel mildly stoned.

Made it back from Germany with zero problems. More to report later.

Yay! My upgrade to Germany cleared. At least I’ll be able to get a few hours of sleep on my flight over.

Gary Barnett is scum.

Yay! I got my hotel in Berlin. I’ll be at the Alsterhof in Berlin. It looks pretty sweet. And I was all proud of myself by buying my own train ticket to Berlin on Die Bahn. Thanks to Scotty and Karen and their mad translation skillz.

Purchased the prerequisite travel books, cancelled the reservation in Frankfurt and now am just counting the hours… 72 hours from now, I’m in the air.

And my upgrade didn’t clear. Fuckers.