On the road... again?!?

Hi there. Lindsey here. Remember me? I've been quiet on the blog lately, in part because I have been really busy! Apart from getting ready for NaNoWriMo (just under 40 days and counting, y'all!), I have been traveling. A lot!

This month alone, I went to Atlanta, GA for a family event; Fort Collins, CO with Chris Baty to throw a party for that fabulous fundraising region; and this past weekend I went up to Healdsburg, CA for some bike-riding and bowling birthday fun.

And that's just September!

I started my year with a trip to Disney Land in Anaheim, CA with one Sarah Mackey, followed by trips to Mendocino, CA; Vail, CO; Las Vegas, NV; Charleston, SC; Brooklyn, NY; and Truckee, CA.

That's ten trips, seven of which were by plane, five of which were family-related, and three of which were red-eye flights. Ouf. No wonder 2011 has been a blur!

(To make things even more exciting, my "other half" Pat accompanied me on seven of those trips in addition to his solo travels to London, Mexico, Zurich, New York, and three trips to Seattle. Our cat surely thinks he's been orphaned by us…)

It's been a strain on my sleep cycles, immune system, and wallet. But also allowed me to see so much more of the country than I ever thought possible in one nine-month period!

In my travels, I struggled to figure out how to commemorate each place. For a second I was buying the Starbucks keepsake mugs in every city. I then abandoned that (spendy, impersonal) approach for (cheaper, less corporate) photo documentation. But that seriously interfered with my ability to actually participate in and enjoy the trips, versus spending the whole time capturing it on camera.

Only now do I realize that I should have written something about each place: a short-short that I could then share with you fine people, for example!

I am a little chagrined that I have had this revelation now, 10 trips later.
That's a lot of short-shorts to catch up on!

How do you document your travels and capture the essence of a place while you're on the go?

– Lindsey