On the Road

Well, it really has been a travel-icious fall for me this year. So far, since September started, I've been to the following places:

- Toronto (twice)
- Cortes Island
- Seattle, WA
- Portland, OR
- Washington, DC
- San Francisco, CA
- Burlington, VT

Next week I might just find myself passing through Massachusetts on the way back to Toronto in a car with James, and then I fly home (back to Vancouver, that is). Whew.

For the record, most of the travel above has been for the DeSmogBlog, and yes, carbon offsets were purchased for all air travel. I know it doesn't change the fact that it's a lot of carbon burned, and I'm not sure how I feel about it all (besides lucky and grateful but tired), but better offset than not, I suppose.

All right, so as far as what I've been up to goes... You can read the post that I wrote about Bioneers for the DeSmogBlog here. What it doesn't really say is how much I *love* Bioneers. And if you are a person who cares about the world, you should at the very least download some of the amazing plenaries, if not plan to attend the main event or one of the satellites next year. It's *so* inspiring and lovely.

San Francisco at this time of year is also extremely lovely, and I very much enjoyed spending 4 days in sweltering sunshine. Thank you to Eddie for hosting me (and check out the Geek Entertainment that came out of the weekend here).

But all good things must come to an end, and so on Tuesday morning I boarded an airplane headed for Chicago, and then another for Vermont. That was a bit of a shock... because it's nearly freezing here. So within 24 hours of arriving, I had found the North Face store in town, and bought myself a down jacket on sale. I've always wanted one... and heck, being *numb* with cold in Vermont seemed like a good excuse for a splurge. Lesson learned: pack for all weather possibilities, or be prepared to spend what's required to make up for your shortfall.

So with all this travel, I'm also becoming something of a connoisseur about hotels. Here are some things I've learned:

1) Getting a hot homemade chocolate chip cookie on check-in makes me happy.
2) Being given little sample size toiletries beyond the usual shampoo, conditioner and soap makes me feel like I'm not being ripped off (as ridiculous as that is).
3) Sadly, the smell of said free toiletries almost always makes me sick.
4) The internet situation in most hotels leaves something to be desired. I find it offensive to pay for wifi in the lobby, only to have to also pay for ethernet in the room.
5) If you ever need a replacement cell phone charger, ask at a big hotel. They have boxes of left-behind ones to spare.
6) A comfy bed and nice sheets are essential to the hotel enjoyment experience.
7) Windows that open are good (because fresh air is good).
8) I think it's offensive to charge me $4 for the small bottle of spring water left in my room.

Moral of the story: If you're ever in Burlington, stay at the Doubletree, and not the Sheraton. (I ended up staying at both. Long story.)

I think that's about it for me. If you're at all curious, you can keep up with the SEJ conference coverage at the DeSmogBlog. For now, I'm off to the hotel hot tub (which is definitely a bonus).

UPDATE: The hotel hot tub has been out of order for a week. -1 Sheraton! Oh NO!!!