Back From Where I Was to Where I Am

Well, I'm back -- I spent the weekend out and about in the state of Kentucky, which barring trips to the Cininnati airport and one library appearance in northern Kentucky was a new experience for me. Kentucky -- at least the parts of it I saw -- is a very pretty state, particularly in the fall; I saw lots of gorgeous foliage, which I always appreciate. While I was out and about I got to see some dear friends of mine as well, which is always nice.

In an earlier comment thread, Monponsett asked if it was weird updating this site from the road. My response to this is: not really. I've been updating from the road from the very beginning: In the first couple of weeks of officially doing By The Way, I updated from the road, in Toronto. And I travel enough as it is that it's usually not a problem for me; just hook up the laptop and I'm good. What is difficult sometimes is doing the usual process of finding interesting links to share -- I'm generally traveling with a purpose, and that purpose takes most of my time. Fortunately, AOL is good with me doing "slice of life" entries when I'm on the road, so that's a plus.

And anyway, usually it's fun updating when I'm away from home. I think there's something to be said about just unplugging and getting away from the Internet -- and trust me, when I'm on vacation with the family, that's the priority -- but it's fun to share what I'm doing, and also (most of the time, at least), it's relaxing to carve off a couple of moments in my day to check in; it's a little pause to focus on what's going on with my day. Krissy often says it sometimes feels like I don't know what I think about something until I write it; I don't know that this is 100% true, but I do know that writing about the events of the day serves to help keep them in my mind, longer.

How about you? How many of you update your journals/blogs from the road?

Written by johnmscalzi Blog about this entry

This entry has 2 comments: (Add your own)

#2 Comment from maryrobinetta
10/23/06 9:06 AM | Permalink

My blog started as a way for my family to keep up to date with me while I was on tour, so I've updated from the road from the beginning. Sometimes it's hard to find an internet connection, so when I think I'll be someplace where it will be difficult--my train-trip across the U.S. for instance--I'll set up a bunch of entries to post automatically. Then if I manage to get online, I'll turn off the automatic entry and do a real one.

So far the only complaints I get are when I don't update daily; my parents think I'm dead.
#1 Comment from dpoem
10/23/06 8:50 AM | Permalink

Whoa... John Scalzi takes vacations?!? Are these like normal people vacations and stuff? hahaha..

Actually, I've updated from the road when I've been on the road --which really hasn't been a whole heck of a lot since I started my journal. But, the few times I've traveled recently, I've done some updating.

However, unlike you, I am not getting paid to write my journal, and when I am off someplace, there's no real sense of obligation to update. But, if AOL wants to foot a chunk of the bill and send me off on a cross-country death trip, I'd update daily. However, now, I just don't have any reason to take my laptop with me and search for a connection to teh intertubes when I am off rambling around.

-Dan
http://journals.aol.com/dpoem/TheWisdomofaDistractedMind/

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Back From Where I Was to Where I Am