Travel, Travel, Travel

I am in the Hong Kong airport now. Flight for Chicago, United Airlines 896, boards in one hour so I have some down time. I am not going to detail all of the details of the last week, but suffice to say by the time I get back to Dubuque tonight, it is 10:30 AM for me in HK, I will have spent 44 hours on airplanes and about 14-18 hours in cars and trucks the last eight days. After all of this I am bringing home only 2-3 hours of video and we only had 4-5 hours of sit down meetings. Now, it is great video. Information per minute is extremely high by my standards. Plus, the meetings were very productive and opened up lines of communication.

Advice for long distance travelers:

• Delays happen. Always bring something to occupy yourself such as a smart phone, book, camera, etc.
• Relax, the traffic is not nearly as hectic as it first feels. The drivers know what they are doing.
• Get out and stretch your legs. I managed to run every morning on this trip. It makes sitting much easier.
• Watch out for the fish. If in doubt, vegetarian out.
• Always bring a bottle of water and something to eat. It may be six or seven or more hours between clean rest stops. 
• Carry a backpack. You can put your sensitive material (computer, smartphone, passport, etc.) and water in it and carry it with you everywhere. Security from thieves is not as guaranteed as most places in the US. 
• Enjoy it! Seeing the world from the roads and airports of the world is such a great way to get exposure to different cultures and topographies. 

Typical Traffic in Indonesia (Yes, She is Texting)