Tag Archives: travel

Advice, Gear, Travel

I am going to India!

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I’m heading to India for a month, traveling through the country using planes, trains, and automobiles. It’s a trip I’ve wanted to do now for many years. Timing wise, I would have preferred to do the trip at another time as it really cuts awkwardly into some of my goals and kills some momentum. But three of my best friends are going to be there at various times that I’m there, as well as a few other people who I haven’t seen in a while. I don’t know how many chances I’m going to get to travel with friends like this, so I figure why not. Plus I could use the break as I have been working on overdrive for the last couple of months.

Anyway, I’m only packing a single carry-on backpack like I usually do. A friend asked me for some advice on how to do this so I figure I’d just write something up real quick. Here are some quick tips to help you accomplish this.

1. You need a good bag

You want a carry-on backpack and nothing bigger (I think this point is obvious). There are a ton of them out there as ultra-lite travel is a growing category.  The Wirecutter even did a breakdown and analysis of the best carry-on backpacks.  Getting a quality bag is worth paying extra for because it will last many years and follow you on many travel adventures. My bag, the Aviator from Timbuk2 (no longer available), has been through hell and back and still looks brand new. Before my last trip, I lost one of the female buckles. I walked into the Toronto Timbuk2 store and they replaced it free of charge before I headed to the airport. Thumbs up for awesome customer service.

2. You need good clothing

Good clothing is subjective, but there are some rules I follow. It must look good (that means none of those god awful pants that convert into shorts when you unzip the bottoms aka travel clothes), feel good, and have properties like anti-odour, anti-bacterial, wrinkle-resistant, quick-drying, strong, durable, light, temperature regulating, etc. So cotton and polyester are out, for example. Clothes made of materials such as merino wool, tencel, modal, and silver fibers are generally good candidates for travel clothing. With good clothing, you can bring a single pair of comfortable pants that look good instead of 3 or 4 pairs that will stink after a single wear. When it comes to packing, your clothes will take up the most space so don’t take this lightly. Invest in good clothes.

3. Be prepared to lose it

If you bring it, be prepared to lose it. So things like expensive jewelry are out. Only bring the necessities, and be fully ready in your mind to have it rip, snap, snag, break, get stolen, soiled, burned, and shredded. I have lost count of the number of items I’ve lost over the years while traveling.

4. You don’t need to pack that

The best travel experiences and memories aren’t always comfortable. You have to change your mindset. If you’re female, you might not be able to bring your entire makeup kit. You’ll just have to get used to it. Every single item you have on your packing list must, must, MUST have a good reason to make the cut.  Otherwise, you’ll end up bringing more than you need. That means no hair-dryer “just in case” the hotel doesn’t have one. A carry-on backpack is a great constraint to have – it will keep the number of items you can bring in check. If you bring a huge piece of luggage, you’ll just find ways to fill it up, no matter the size. Embrace the minimalist mindset – you’ll be happier with it.

5. Try to find travel-sized versions

A toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant are all things that come in travel sizes. Other things like pens, notebooks, nail clippers, and hand-sanitizer all come in tinier sizes. For liquids, you can only carry so much. Get the TSA travel-sized liquid tubes to put your favourite shampoo and other things into if you must. If it passes rule #4 (you don’t need to pack that) then see if you can get a tinier and lighter version of it.

6. Know where you’re going

Packing for a country that can go from rain to wind to sun and back again in a matter of minutes like Iceland will be slightly different than packing for a tropical island like Fiji. Clothes is the obvious thing that will be different. You’d also want to maybe bring an umbrella to Iceland but not Fiji, but you’d bring some bug spray to Fiji and not Iceland. Many things will stay the same, though. If you pack correctly, maybe only a handful of items will change and the rest will stay the same.

7. Get some good shoes

Shoes are a tough one. If you’re packing light, putting an extra pair of shoes into your carry-on can be tough. I generally bring only a single pair of shoes. For women who love their shoes, this might be very tough. Shoes should be comfortable and versatile enough to look good in a variety of outfits and situations. For men, a pair of chukkas, desert boots, or Tom’s classic can go a long way (but depends on #6, where you’re going). For women, I have no clue. Good luck.

8. Try to only bring items that have multiple uses

Because you are so constrained with what you can bring, the items you bring should have multiple uses whenever possible. That’s why things like travel pillows are out. They take up too much space and you only use them on long plane rides. That marginal increase in comfort on the plane ride isn’t worth lugging it around for a few weeks or more. This might make more sense with some examples. Below you’ll see my packing list and gear I’m bringing with me to India.

 

What I’m bringing to India

This is everything I’m taking in my Aviator carry-on backpack or wearing the day of travel. I haven’t finalized my packing list just yet (I’ll likely remove some items rather than add), but this will give you an idea of just how much stuff you can bring in a carry-on backpack.

everything will fit in the baggear bunched togetherfront loading aviator bag front loading aviator bag

 

1. 1 pair of shoes, the Nike Metcon 2. I got these on clearance during Boxing Week at the Nike Outlet. They look decent and are meant for various activities so I figure these are worth a go in India. The pair I bought are a light brown colour.

2. Aviator backpack. This was a gift and I’m mostly pleased with it. One thing drives me crazy with the backpack, and that’s the inability to access the laptop compartment without opening up the top compartment. This is clunky, and sometimes a pain,  especially when getting through airport security. But overall, this is a great bag.

3. 7 pairs of underwear.

I like having loads of underwear on hand, because that’s really the only clothing item I care about having a fresh pair on at all times. Ideally, I’ll do a quick wash of my clothes every 5-6 days, but just in case, having a few extra pairs of undies is worth carrying for me.

4. 5 pairs of socks – 4 pairs of the YAthletics ankle sock  and 1 pair from Unbound Merino. I really love these socks from YAthletics. They don’t stink even after a long day of walking and feel great.

5. 5 T-shirts.

These shirts all look good, feel great, and have great properties. Not washing them is no big deal as they won’t stink, even after a heavy day of sweating and moving. All you really need to do is hang them somewhere to air out and the next day they are as good as new. You can’t do this with a cotton shirt. This is why I say pay for good clothing.

6. 2 pairs of shorts – 1 pair from Cobba and another from Aviator USA. These are both great shorts with lots of neat features and properties. They’ll help me survive the heat in India.

7. 2 pairs of pants – The Live Lite A/C pant and the Live Lite Adventure pant from Dish and Duer. I’m a big fan of Dish and Duer clothing. Their pants are great for a number of reasons. I’ll wear a pair of these in Canada to stay warm as I go to the airport, but will also wear them in India because they’re temperature regulating and I won’t feel like I’m wearing snow pants while I’m there.

8. The MEC ionic hoody. Another item I’ll wear in Canada as I go to the airport. I’ll wear it at night in India should it get a little chilly, especially in the north.

9. The ultrafine long sleeve crew neck from Element Pure. Made of tencel, this is an amazing long sleeve. I’ll wear this in Canada as well as on chilly nights.

10. Wind jacket from Puma. I don’t know the exact version or product name. I bought this on a whim in Hong Kong and I think I’ll be replacing it soon. It packs in super tiny, though and weighs almost nothing. Worth bringing to stay warm in places where it might be windy or at night.

11. Uniqlo down jacket. This thing packs in super tight. On my last trip to Chicago, I forgot I had brought it because it is so light. I ended up letting my buddy wear it to stay warm as it was unusually windy and cold (or usually, damn you Chicago!). I’ll wear this in Canada and doubt I’ll wear it at all in India. This can also double as a pillow on flights and trains.

12. Chaos multi tubular. Made of merino wool, I can use this as a scarf, balaclava, neck warmer, and so on. This is what I mean by a multi-purpose item. This will also keep me warm while I’m still in Canada and making my way to the airport.

10. Apple Macbook. Since I’ll be working for half the trip, I’ll need my laptop. These Macbooks are slim, light, and super sexy.

11. Nexus 6P. A big and powerful phone. It’s the only one I have, otherwise I’d prefer something smaller. I’ll use it to take photos and look at maps when I get lost.

12. 2 USB to USB-C cables. These are to charge my phone and Macbook. It saves me from carrying the Macbook charger.

13. Cambridge anti-pollution mask. I’ll use this for protection against the bad air quality in places like New Delhi. It will look weird and is tough to breathe in, but I’ll get used to it.

14. The Anker power charger. This is another example of a multi-use item. It acts as a wall charger, but also has its own internal battery that can act as a portable battery when away from a wall outlet to charge your phone or laptop while on the road.

15. Cozyphones sleep headphones. To help me go to bed through the noisy cities in India. I’ll be using this every night so to me it is worth bringing.

16. Scrubba portable wash bag. I’ll use this to do my laundry. Fill it up with soap, water, and dirty clothes, then beat up the bag for 5-10 minutes. Rinse and hang dry the clothes, and bammo, good as new.

17. Beats urbeats earphones. They were on sale over Boxing Week and I needed some. They seem to fit my ears pretty well. I tend to go through earphones very quickly, but I’m hoping the Beats last much longer than what I’m used to.

18. Kikkerland UL03-A Universal Travel Adapter. This thing rocks. A travel adapter that is very portable and works just about everywhere, in every country I’ve been in.

19. Manta sleep mask. One of the best sleep masks I own. This one is super light, small, and you can adjust the eye covers to maximize light blocking.

20. Grayl water bottle. Water is a little sketchy and undrinkable from the tap in India. The Grayl is an awesome portable water bottle that will make any water drinkable. I’ll probably use this a lot.

21. Travelmore 20L Jetpack. This is a badass little daypack that crunches down fairly small, but has a lot of great features and holds up quite well as a daypack. I’ll use it to carry my Grayl, hand sanitizer, money, and maybe some snacks whenever I go anywhere and am leaving the Aviator in my hotel room.

22. Gee-Fi portable wifi device. This thing will act as a router and give me wifi just about anywhere. It costs 10 bucks a day to use, though, so I’ll only use it when wifi at hotels and lobbies aren’t available.

23. Deuter toiletry kit. This kit contains things like a travel toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, nail clippers, disposable razor, deodorant, a portable clothesline, some bandaids, Tide to Go stick, Tide laundry packets, hand sanitizer, and medicine including benadryl, gravol, and immodium.

24. Other miscellaneous items include wipes, tissues, ear plugs, pen, moleskin notepad, headphone splitter, flashlight, safety pins, athletic tape, portable power strip, key and key chain, printed copies of passport, travel insurance, plane tickets, hotel confirmations, and train tickets.

As you can see, that’s actually quite a lot of stuff I’m able to fit into a single backpack. By following my tips you should easily be able to do the same. Traveling with a single bag is a liberating experience. Once you do it once or twice and get the hang of it you won’t ever want to pack one of those huge suitcases ever again.

Gear, Reviews, Travel

Element Pure Nanofiber Baselayer Review – Ultra Soft, Odor-proof & Sustainable

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Element Pure Nanofiber Baselayer Review – Ultra Soft, Odor-proof & Sustainable

element pure nanofiber baselayer tencel
Properties of Tencel

The Element Pure Nanofiber Baselayer on Kickstarter

The Element Pure Nanofiber Baselayer is a campaign I backed on Kickstarter last year. I ended up getting both a long sleeve top and bottom. These are made with a remarkable material known as Tencel. Here’s the product description taken from the campaign page on Kickstarter.

Welcome to the world of 21st century fabrics. Gone are the days when we have to use outdated textiles, such as cotton and polyester. We are now seeing huge leaps in garment textiles in terms of sustainability, comfort and performance. Tencel is at the forefront of this new wave.

An ultra sustainable, high-tech nano-fiber from Austria. Tencel is 100% natural and completely made from organic PEFC certified Eucalyptus wood through a non-toxic and renewable process. It’s full of awesome features, making our baselayer a perfect complement for your winter adventures.

Tencel is amazing. It is by far my favourite fabric that I’ve come across so far. There are so many good properties of this material, including the following:

  • thermal regulating
  • odor resistant
  • anti-bacterial
  • highly absorbent
  • quick drying
  • wrinkle resistant
  • form fitting
  • uber soft
  • durable
  • sustainable and eco-friendly

These properties make Tencel an ideal fabric for baselayers, underwear, and T-shirts. These are versatile items in your wardrobe for everyday wear, as well as various activities including travel, exercising, and enjoying the outdoors.

Thoughts on the Element Pure Nanofiber Baselayer

Suffice to say, I’ve been very pleased with the Nanofiber Baselayer by Element Pure. I only wish that I could wear them more often. I find that I don’t necessarily need them in most of my days. I do wear them a lot more during the winter months, but I tend to put them away and forget about them as the weather warms up, especially the bottoms. I also wish the good people over at Element Pure offered more colours besides black. I see on their website that they offer T-shirts now, but they also only come in black. I don’t really like wearing black T-shirts because I feel like they are magnets for the blistering hot sun in the summer, defeating the purpose of wearing a T-shirt to stay cool in the first place. But with Tencel, I’m pretty sure that’s less of a concern versus other fabrics.

Final thoughts on the Element Pure Nanofiber Baselayer

The Element Pure Nanofiber Baselayer top and bottom combo is a winner. They are the best baselayers I own by a mile. So what’s the con? Well, I think Tencel is expensive, and thus the price is reflected in the Element Pure products. Their T-shirt, for example, is $59 USD, which is close to $75 CAD on a good day. I don’t tend to spend more than $20 CAD on a T-shirt, so to pay close to 4x the price really needs to have about 4x the value add. For me, that’s a tough sell. As much as I love Tencel, I’m not sure I’m willing to spend $75 on a T-shirt made out of it. But don’t let that stop you. If you like what you’ve read in this Element Pure Nanofiber Baselayer review, then head over to their shop and check out their goods.

Gear, Reviews, Travel

The Carbon 6 Belt Review

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This is my review of the Carbon 6 – The Belt with Maximum Style, Ultimate Functionality

review of the Carbon 6 belt
This is my review of the Carbon 6 belt

​The Carbon 6 on Kickstarter

The Carbon 6 belt is a belt I backed on Kickstarter in late 2015. Here’s the pitch taken straight from the campaign:

The CARBON6™ is the ultimate go-to belt for every occasion. Designed with a clean, sleek look, it’s the only belt with no holes, no flap and no bulk. It’s extremely comfortable, low profile and lightweight. Made from premium carbon fiber and a custom engineered webbing, it was built to last forever and look awesome along the way. It’s completely adjustable and never slips. And frequent flyers celebrate! You can wear it right through airport security.

At the time, I figured I could use the belt during my travels. From the campaign page the Carbon 6 looked like a stylish belt that was lightweight and versatile, two qualities I look for in anything I take with me while traveling. It could be worn with many different outfits, from formal wear to hiking gear, and thus appeared to be a winner.

The carbon 6 belt is stylish and versatile
The carbon 6 belt is suitable for travel

​Initial thoughts of the Carbon 6 belt

The belt has an interesting, zero-hole, no-slip design. You slide in the belt strap through the buckle and voila, all done. The belt will hold in place and won’t slide. This beats belts with holes at specific points, because what if your waist is between those two points? The belt will either be on too loose or too tight. In practice, the Carbon 6 is harder to put on then they claim. I find I usually have to slide the strap through the buckle and then pull on the strap some more before the belt is sufficiently tightened. This isn’t that easy because your fingers and belt strap are sandwiched between the back of the buckle and the pant waist.

carbon 6 belt versatility
The carbon 6 belt is a versatile and stylish accessory

 

​Carbon 6 belt review conclusion

The biggest issue I have with the Carbon6 belt is the finish of the buckle. Through Kickstarter updates, the makers were forced to make some tough choices, and one of them was to use a gloss finish rather than a matte finish on the buckles. This, in my opinion, really cheapens the look of the buckle. If I knew from the beginning that the buckle had a gloss finish versus what is advertised on the campaign, I wouldn’t have backed it. Although the belt works as advertised, for the most part, I rarely wear it because I simply don’t like the gloss finish. It looks like it would scratch easy and then look even worse. With that said, I do still wear the belt from time to time and am starting to make a conscious effort to wear it out more often, but I don’t wear it nearly as much as I thought I would when I backed the Carbon 6 belt on Kickstarter. If you liked my Carbon 6 belt review or would like more information about it, you can buy the belt here.

Gear, Reviews, Travel

The Y Athletics SilverAir Sock Review

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The Y Athletics SilverAir Sock on Kickstarter

The Y Athletics SilverAir sock is the third project I backed on Kickstarter. This was another great project I backed. The next two projects I backed I still haven’t gotten the products yet, and likely never will. Here’s the Y Athletics SilverAir sock Kickstarter video.

 

 

What is the SilverAir sock?

The SilverAir sock claims to be an athletic sock that’s breathable, durable, comfortable, anti-bacterial and anti-odour. What a mouthful. It’s made by Y Athletics, an online retailer of travel and sports gear. Does the SilverAir sock live up to the hype? Let’s find out.

SilverAir socks
Feet up and relaxing with my comfy SilverAir socks.

 

Y Athletics Ready to Deliver… on Customer Service

When the SilverAir sock was ready to deliver the goods I was about to go on a trip to Asia and really wanted my stuff in time, but the timeline was squeaky bumb tight. I reached out to the Y Athletics team to see if they could help and they tried to rush send me the stuff. It didn’t make it in time. I ended up getting them on my return from Asia. A shame, really, because going to the hot and humid parts of Asia I was at would have really put the SilverAir sock claims to the test.

 

Then a few months later I got another package of the exact same contents. They sent me two packages of the same thing. That means instead of getting 3 pairs of SilverAir socks, 3 SilverAir T-shirts, a travel bag and a gym bag, I got double that amount. I asked Y Athletics if this was a mistake and if they were aware they sent me two of the same package and they said no they weren’t. But they also told me to keep the second package because it was their mistake. Talk about awesome! While most crowdfunding campaigns I’ve backed have really crappy customer support, the team at Y Athletics is not one of them.

Y Athletics Crowdfunding Success

I’ve backed 3 of their projects (the SilverAir sock, the SilverAir crew sock, and the SilverAir merino underwear), and I think they have launched 5 or 6 at this point. This seems to be a model that has brought them great success as every single one of their Kickstarter campaigns have smashed their funding goal and collectively generated over $1 million bucks.

 

The second campaign I backed, the SilverAir crew sock, isn’t something I likely would have backed had they not been so cool about letting me keep the second package they sent me by accident. The other reason is they make awesome gear. I’m really impressed with everything that I’ve purchased from them. That includes the SilverAir sock, the SilverAir crew sock, the Y Athletics T-shirt, and the Y Athletics travel underwear. I’ll stick to talking about the socks and T-shirt in this review and leave the travel underwear for another day (hint: they are amazeballs).

 

First, let’s talk quality. There were some hiccups here. The crew sock, for example, had a hole in one of the socks after I wore it once. They quickly sent me a replacement, though. Again, awesome customer service. Next, one of the T-shirts looks like it snared on something the very first time I wore it, even though as far as I could tell I didn’t do anything outlandish or eventful that day.

SilverAir T-shirt loose thread
Loose thread on my SilverAir T-shirt

 

The fix was simple. I used a nail clipper and clipped away the loose thread, as per the instructions from Y Athletics. For the crew sock, they also sent me two left versions.

SilverAir crew socks two left feet
Two left feet on the SilverAir crew socks

But they were able to replace this for me, as well. The lesson here is never underestimate the power of good customer support. It’s the difference between a dissatisfied customer and a customer advocate who recommends your product.

After many washes, I have also noticed there is some pilling in the stomach area of the T-shirts. I’m not sure why that area specifically starts to pill, but it is slightly noticeable on all the shirts. Maybe it’s the way I sit and how my gut folds onto them, I’m not sure.

The socks also have their silver threads start to show and appear to fray after a couple of washes. I don’t think it’s that noticeable or that big of a deal, but I can see how that may put some people off from the product. But if you are willing to look past that you are in for a treat.

Do the SilverAir socks work?

The big question of whether the SilverAir socks actually work remains. And for me, the answer is absolutely yes. To be sure, I wore the socks and T-shirts daily for weeks to put their anti-odour claims to the test (the things I do for science). By the end of it, the socks were as odourless as when I first put them on. That isn’t to say they were fresh smelling. The absence of odour doesn’t mean fabric softener fresh. It simply means the SilverAir socks and T-shirts, after weeks of wear (including through workouts) and without washes, didn’t smell funky. At all. That in itself is pretty remarkable and mind blowing.

Conclusion

I am so happy with the SilverAir socks and T-shirts that they are a staple in my travel repertoire. They are the first things I pack when I travel. It also doesn’t hurt that they look pretty stylish and fashionable rather than look like sports or travel wear, making them versatile items in any wardrobe.

I’m a big fan of the SilverAir socks and T-shirts. I give them two thumbs up. If you are interested in purchasing them then check them out on their website at Yathletics.com.

 

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When it hits you…

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Have you ever felt that indescribable feeling you get when something jibes with you so much and to such an extent that you just can’t shake that feeling? Like a calling, of sorts, but not really. It’s bigger than that. It resonates with you, right to your core.

I’ve been watching this show called Departures and it does exactly that to me. I can’t stop watching the show. It was recommended to me a few years ago by a former co-worker and I was sure I wasn’t going to like it. I just brushed it off since I watch so little TV that it would just be some stupid travel show. Then over the holidays I turned it on, and watched….and watched….and watched. I have to physically force myself to stop watching and have limited myself to 1 episode a day. The good news, I guess, is that it is only 3 seasons long. But at the same time, I don’t ever want this show to end, and knowing that there’s an end makes me kind of sad. But then of course, everything ends and that’s ok.

There is something about it, though, that just has me hooked. My brother watched the first 2 episodes and hated it. Yet I can’t get my eyes away from the TV when it’s on. And not like, “Oh, this is a cool show, I’m going to watch this like Seinfeld” kind of way. It’s something much more than that, like I’m there in the show, feeling what they are feeling. It has hit me hard. I mean, sure it’s about 2 dudes who both remind me of myself in certain ways that go travel around the planet, but there’s tons of travel shows out there with hosts that go to wild and exotic places. I don’t even think travel is what draws me to it. The inner discovery, the trials and tribulations, the hardships, the rewarding victories, the way the story is told, it just grabs me by the balls. They are looking for something, but they don’t know what it is, yet they’ll know when they’ve found it. A ball grabber, for sure. What’s grabbed you by the balls, lately?

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” – Steve Jobs

Me, Stories

Clubfoot of Death

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Vibram FiveFingers and a Swollen Ankle

I bring your attention to my right foot, which if you haven’t noticed got a lot bigger than my left on the final day’s trek into Machu Picchu.  They think I got bitten by a spider.  Serves me right for going au natural and avoiding any deet infused liquid death spray (which I succumbed to anyway as soon as I ran out out of Citronella oil).  Tourists were so enthralled by my Vibram Five Fingers they didn’t even notice my grotesquely, morbidly obese right ankle as they snapped away in glee at my shoes, even at one point making me stand on one foot so they could take pictures of the bottom of my feet.  The ankle got a few inches bigger than this before the swelling started to go down.  Homeopathics so did not work for me in terms of not getting bit by tiny, blood thirsty bugs.  If anybody has any non toxic remedies for me to try on my next insect filled adventure, I’m all ears.

Me, Stories

San Francisco is rules

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Back from San Francisco.  That was an awesome trip.  Minimal computer time, no twitter, no cell phone, no facebook, it felt great.  Read this book, Emergency by Neil Strauss, loved it.  That, combined with the lack of technology and the natural beauty of SF and surrounding area has got me motoring to learn some new skills.  Wrote them down on my to do list.  They involve guns, knives, and camping.

The return back to Toronto was disastrous.  It included massive check in lineups, rude US Airways agents, turbulent flights, delayed flights, missed connections, rude/frustrated/stressed passengers, terrible food, lack of food, lack of sleep, unwanted overnight stay in Philadelphia, long security lines, rude customs agents, etc.  It was probably the roughest 24+ hours of travel I have ever experienced so far.  Likely won’t be traveling on US Airways ever again.  They suck.  At the hotel they put me in, speaking with the hostess and the way too happy to be working at 1 AM check in clerk girl at the hotel they both told me that US Airways always fills their hotel every Saturday and Sunday due to overbooking and missed connections due to delays.  Hopefully I won’t have to go through anything like that again.  After the delayed flight back into Toronto in the morning, I proceeded to run out of the airport, take the Airport Express to downtown Toronto, take a cab into work and then work an 8 hour shift.

Disastrous return aside, that was a really chill vacation.  Probably saw everything I needed to see in SF, my favourite being a night tour of Alcatraz, but what I really enjoyed was the friendly vibe of the city.  Went to the park on a Saturday, random hippies just chillin out, smoking pot in one spot.  Kids flying their kites in another, lesbians listening to live music someplace else, college fratboys playing frisbee elsewhere, etc. etc.  Everybody just out, sharing the space at the park, having fun.  Everybody I met was friendly, from the crazy Swedish sisters that felt the need to kiss each other way too much (note: beware of Swedish girls who come to California looking to become Actresses), to the random girls stopping us on the streets to give us props and high fives for no other reason but because we both had somebody in the group with luggage. Seriously, who does that?  Apparently San Franciscans.

Heck, even the baseball game was fun, and I didn’t even drink or anything and it was cold.  The energy of the crowd was what kept the game exciting, and of course the fights and near fights that broke out.  And the random chants of USA and LA Dodgers support swine flu were good times as well.

My watch stopped working near the end of the trip.  I only write this because I noticed I wore my watch today.  wtf, habit I guess.  In fact, I wore it everyday since it stopped working.  I made it a running joke anytime we were on a time commitment that we either had lots of time, or we were late because it was 11:20 (what my watch is stuck on).  Sadly, I found that way too hysterical for my own good and beat the joke to death.

I had a fmylife.com moment when, in order to save paying the $1.50 fare to ride the bus by using my bus transfer that was about to expire, I ran to catch the bus only to drop, scratch, and crack my Armani sunglasses my brother gave me.  I broke an expensive pair of sunglasses in order to save $1.50. FML.

I have pictures. I have videos. I’m sure they’ll show up somewhere.  Awesome time with a great group of friends.  Ate well, played well, and even had time to work well.