2010 was a year of many changes. Many transitions. Many days of doubt and others figuring things out. 2010 took me to new places both mentally and physically – from my honeymoon in San Francisco and Napa Valley to my first trip to NYC, to an 80s style airport in Tallahassee. In 2010 I was bitten by the travel bug. Hard.
Traveling. Seeing new places. Experiencing things for the first time. It’s an incredibly freeing experience. It makes you feel alive. And above all, it’s addicting as hell. There’s nothing worse than getting on that long fight back home after an amazing getaway – and from all the traveling I did in 2010, it only makes me want to do much more of it in 2011.
In March, I spoke at my first major event in San Antoinio – sitting on a panel with other Gen Y innovators, being looked to as an “expert” in a field that, quite honestly, I knew very little about, aside from you know, actually being part of the generation myself.
In May I spent a week in San Francisco and Napa valley. Seeing the sights, eating the eats, and drinking (a lot) of the drinks with my wife. It was the perfect honeymoon. No plan. No itinerary. Just a week of complete relaxation – not thinking about work, not stressing about what needed to get done, and not worrying about what was waiting for me when I got back home. It was a true “escape” in every sense of the word – and it proved to me the value of REALLY unplugging and getting away.
In September I traveled to Tallahasse, Florida – flying into one of the smallest airports I’ve ever seen (complete with an OLD SCHOOL arcade – like super old school). Invited to speak at the Florida Public Relations Association’s Capital Chapter – I chatted with nearly 100 people about my short tenure as an entrepreneur, and motivating others to pursue what matters most (to them). Kudos to everyone who put me up and showed me a great time in Florida – it was by far one of my highlights of the year.
In October I traveled to Silicon Valley, attending the Rise of Social Commerce conference put on by the Altimeter Group. It was a pleasure developing the website for the conference, and being the “voice” of the event on Twitter and through their blog. Above all, I met true marketing and digital innovators (and admittedly felt a little out of my league out on the West Coast).
In November I took my first trip (ever) to New York City as a speaker at the Pivot Conference – again, surrounded my incredible people doing amazing things. Not to mention, I got to meet folks like Teresa Cantwell, Sam Karol, and Monique Johnson – who made my first trip to the “concrete jungle” one I’ll never forget (though I would never stay in Times Square again).
Only a few of the highlights – but all in all, an incredible year. One of my “resolutions” will be, again, to travel more. If it’s not on your list, it should be. Even if it’s only for a day, hop in the car and go somewhere new. You’ll be glad you did.
Where did 2010 take you? Where do you want to go in 2011?