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I’ve spent the last five days running around like a crazy man attempting to get everything in order for my forthcoming epic adventure. Tying up loose ends, wrapping up Digg Images, and purchasing last minute items. I’ve spent more time planning for this trip than I have any other trip in my life. The following is a list of things I’m taking with me.

• My Chrome bag loaded up with my Canon Rebel XTi, Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens, Canon 28mm-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens, a mono pod, a few books, a change of clothes, medications, 80GB portable hard drive that accepts CF cards for backing up my pictures and my iPhone for checking email, watching TV and listening to music.
• I bought a REI Mars multi-day pack and loaded it up with clothes, more books, etc.

I’m not sure what else to pack. I’ve got a copy of all of the necessary documents, double checked that I have all the cables and chargers I need, notified all the necessary people where I’m going, etc. So, with that I’m going to take Crash to a friend’s house and get plenty of rest.

So I spent a few hours in the Detroit Metro Airport fleshing out my trip to Thailand. I’ll be flying into Bangkok on the 14th of November. I actually arrive on the 15th and plan on spending four nights in the city at the Le Fenix Sukhumvit. Everyone I’ve talked to has told me to spend as little time in Bangkok as possible. I think four days should be plenty of time to see a few sites and get a feel for the city before leaving for the south.

On the 19th of November I board a plane for Ko Samui with a final destination of Had Rin Nok. I’ll be staying in a modest beach bungalow at the Sarikantang resort, which is located across the island on the  Had Leela beach. The reviews appear to be spectacular and it’s hard to argue with $30USD a night, which is actually on the high end for beach bungalows in the area. On the 24th I’ll be joining 10,000 travelers for the Full Moon Beach Party.

I’m really looking forward to this trip now that it’s more fleshed out. I plan on spending a lot of time relaxing and I hope to stay unplugged for most, if not all, of the trip. It’s also my first trip solo to another country, which is exciting.

If you’re going to be in any of the areas above at the same time as me feel free to contact me.

So in 2005 I said I’d travel to two different continents that year. Well, in 2007, just one year late; I’ll be visiting Europe and Asia. Earlier today I booked a ticket to London. I’ll be attending the Future of Web Apps conference and speaking about various Web 2.0′isms at The London Knowledge Lab.

I leave October 1st and come back on the 7th. If you’re going to be in the area and are so interested please do contact me and we’ll get a pint (or ten).

Well, it’s all set in stone. I bought a ticket this morning whose final destination is Bangkok, Thailand. I’m planning on spending a few days in Bangkok and then taking a flight down to the Surat Thani Province for the Koh Phangan full moon beach party.

If anyone has any input on what gear I should take with me, any sites I should definitely see, etc. I’d love to hear about it. Post it in the comments for all to share.

1. Seattle, WA
2. San Diego, CA
3. Las Vegas, NV
4. San Jose, CA
5. San Francisco, CA
6. Seaside, OR
7. Portland, OR
8. Yakima, WA
9. Ypsilanti, MI
10. Whistler, BC
11. Vancouver, BC

The last time I took days off was in April so it was definitely time to take a few days off and get out of town. I decided it was time to finally fully explore the wonders of Seattle’s little brother, Portland. I have to say I’m thoroughly impressed.

I met a bunch of new people, hung out with some current friends, and, oddly enough, re-connected with an old friend from college. Kate and I actually went to our dorm’s semi-formal together at the ripe old age of 19. The pictures are terrifying.

Looks like Garren and I will be making it down for the beer festival on the water this weekend as well. Now, rounding out the post is Kate singing karaoke.

Over a few pints at a pub in Ballard on Friday night with Garren, Julia and Sanna Garren and I had the bright idea to head up to Bellingham on Saturday night and then go skiing/snowboarding on Mt. Baker all day Sunday for one last day on the slopes.

As it turns out the stars were perfectly aligned to not only make this trip happen, but to make it one of the best trips in recent memory. One of those trips where everything falls into place perfectly.

Garren and I headed out of Seattle around 7PM. About 15 miles outside of Bellingham is the Skagit Casino which, after some discussion and a quick turnaround, we went to in search of cheap Craps. Cheap craps we found with $3 tables and 10x odds. Something you won’t find in even the cheapest Vegas casinos. It was here that Garren quite possibly had one of his luckiest runs at the table. The luck appeared to spread as multiple shooters scored multiple points over the next four hours. Always nice when you walk out with more money than you walked in with at a Casino.

The next day the stars again aligned in our favor as we wound up in about 2 feet of fresh snow and very little competition for fresh tracks. I readily admit I was doing things I had absolutely no business doing on the mountain. Finding myself in the trees up to my waist in powder on multiple occasions giggling like a school girl.

Let me first say that Vegas pretty much rules. Where else can you go and eat all the shrimp and New York steak you can handle for $10.99? Where else can you play 25 cent hands of video poker and get fed free drinks all night? I had a great time playing craps with Julia and Garren and video poker with Keith. However, travel to and from on this trip has stunk.

On the flight out here I was delayed two hours. Not a big deal since it was a direct fligh. However, on the way back it has been a totally different story. I sit here writing this post in the D terminal while waiting for a flight back to Seattle. If this story had happened to anyone else I’d be laughing, so feel free.

1:30PM - Having a 5:00 fligh and having heard that security and lines at Las Vegas can be a horrific experience, I decide to leave the Monte Carlo early for the airport.

1:45PM - I arrive at the airport to find out that my cab does not, for some reason, accept credit cards. After a frantic search for an ATM I get some cash and find my cabby, thankfully, waiting for his fare.

1:55PM - After a few failed attempts at the automated check-in station I am forced to wait in a long line for a real person to check me into my flight.

2:20PM - Arrive in security line and manage to get through security without any difficulties. I’ve learned to: a.) not wear a belt to the airport, b.) wear flip-flops and c.) stow my cell phone, wallet, watch, etc. in my carry one BEFORE getting in the security line.

2:40PM - Sit down to read my magazines, check email and call my Mom to wish her a Happy Mother’s Day.

4:40PM - On the way back from the bathroom I notice my plane is delayed an hour, which means I’ll be missing my connection flight from Phoenix to Seattle.

4:50PM - Stand in line at the courtesy desk and find out that I’ve been booked on an Alaskan Airlines direct flight (yay!) that leaves from Las Vegas at 11:10PM (boo!). It gets better, I’m only “booked” and have yet to get a “seat assignment”, which means I must leave the secured area to go to Alaskan Airlines’ ticket counter to get a seat assignment. This, of course, means I have to go BACK through security.

5:00PM - Make my way to the Alaskan Airlines ticket counter and get a seating assignment. As I’m grabbing the ticket from the counter person’s hand, her manager comes over and announces “Do NOT sell any more to America West.” Thankfully, I had already gotten my ticket, but if I had shown up 2 minutes later I’d have been out of luck.

5:10PM - Get back into the security line and find out that I’ve been marked for “special screening” and directed to another line. Am I fuming at this point? You bet. I get in the “special screening” line and check out my fellow terrorists: two small girls and their mom, a middle aged couple and me. Damn, and I left my turbin at home.

5:40PM - After going through not one, but two different scanners and having my bags completely searched, I finally start making my way to my gate. Oh joy, I get to take a tram over to the other side of the airport.

6:00PM - Hunker down for what will be about a five hour delay. The only bright spot being that there is free WiFi at my gate.

9:00PM - Find out my 11:10PM flight has been delayed until 1:15AM.

5:21AM - Finally arrive home and promptly pass out.

I wouldn’t be so pissed if America West had made some token gesture. Maybe a food coupon for a free dinner? Anything to at least attempt to make up for having me go through the security line twice, barely get a ticket on the next flight and then wait six hours in all to get back home. The best part? You guessed it, I have to pay a cab to get home as my wife will be sound asleep by the time I get home, which I’m hoping will be around 3:00AM Monday morning.

On Wednesday we packed up with Josh and Alysin we headed up to Whistler for a weekend of hot tubs and snowboarding.

The long weekend was great. We had a great time on the slopes and took some amazing photos. The snow was a dream compared to the shitty snow I was used to in the midwest. Josh was complaining the whole time, but I told him he had it better than he’d ever know. The picture to your left was taken overlooking a cliff. Behind me are mountains and below is a valley with a lake. Needless to say the views and the slopes were enough to take my breath away.

Whistler is amazing and I definitely recommend checking it out. We were able to hit up shopping, hot tubs, bars, great resturants, etc. all within a few minutes walk. Many thanks to Josh and Aly for hooking it all up. And, we met another couple from Michigan who were foolish enough to take Lauren and I on in euchre. Let the games begin!

I’m currently hanging out in San Diego with Dana. I’ve been here a few days and will be heading back to Detroit, MI on the 6th of August. The time spent here has mostly been spent on the beach, throwing back California Burritos and hitting up the various bars in the area with dana.

Today we went to check out the USS Midway, which you can see to your left. I’m a huge History Channel buff, so it was great to finally check one of these beasts out in real life. This thing was massive! The audio tour was full of all sorts of interesting tidbits, most of which I can’t remember now. I definitely have a whole new understanding of what it’s like to live on one and I don’t envy my cousins much (though Gino does get to fly a figher jet and blow stuff up, which is, to say the very least, incredibly cool).

Tomorrow Dana and I are most likely going to hook up some surfing. I’m pretty “stoked”, as they say out here, to try surfing out. After surfing we are going to check out Balboa Park and play a few rounds of Disc Golf. Not sure what else we have planned for the rest of the week, but rest assured we’ll be drinking and being merry; possibly doing so while at the beach (nah, nah, nah Lauren!).