Guest Blogger: Jeff Hits the Road, Again
Editor’s Note: Loyal readers will remember Jeff Gates’ posts from last summer, when he took his family on an all-American vacation to Yosemite, Las Vegas and the Sierra Nevadas. Happily Jeff is hitting the road again this summer, first to Spain and then to the Pacific Northwest with his family. This is his first post (of many, we hope). In case you forgot, Jeff is the New Media Lead Producer for the Smithsonian American Art Museum and Managing Editor for its blog, Eye Level.
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| Jeff’s next stop: Spain! Vamos a empezar. |
Ok, true confession: I am a neurotic traveler. Well, to be more specific: I am a neurotic pre-traveler. With one week to go before heading off to Aranjuez, Spain, to give my first international talk (El uso de los blogs dentro de los museos de corte tradicional/New World Blogging in a Traditional Museum Setting), I’d sleep much better if I was entirely packed and ready to go. I’m always afraid I’ll forget something. A MacGyver I’m not.
Spanish-translated PowerPoint: check (on thumb drive, on CD, on .mac drive and ftp site —yeah, that should cover it); clothes decisions made (hot weather, casual conference they tell me): check. Laptop: check and already nestled in my new international trip backpack. While not entirely a “light” traveler, I like to travel as light as I can: unencumbered both physically and mentally. Until now I’ve managed never to have taken my laptop on any trip, business or pleasure. But then again, I haven’t traveled out of the country for nine years. Yes, I’ll admit to that too.
When I started to consider international calling plans to keep in touch with the family, I suddenly discovered Skype. For someone who’s supposed to be on the technological cusp this was a long overdue revelation. Free PC-to-PC telephony —a new tech development since my last international trip. That, alone, made taking my computer irresistible. Tested on our laptops, my two girls now think they have an in-house walkie-talkie. It’s not that I haven’t traveled to far-flung places: the interior of China twice, way way off the beaten tourist paths. I’ve just been focused on domestic issues for a while. Yeah, that’s a good way of spinning my isolationism.
Oh yeah, don’t forget your opening remarks in Spanish (although I need to practice). I had fantasies of giving my whole talk in Español but I only got through the first 20 lessons of Coffee Break Spanish. Should it come up I can say with confidence: Tengo dos hijas. I have two daughters. I guess I haven’t come to the lesson “So you’re giving a talk on museum blogging in Spain” yet.
What’s really funny about these language lessons is that I learn more useful phrases when they talk to you in Spanish about the lesson itself. I experimented with Pimsleur a bit and came away remembering that most useful phrase Escuchar y repetir: listen and repeat. Well, they repeated so often I couldn’t help but remember it. And in Coffee Break Spanish I will be able to weave into my presentation. Vamos a empezar. Let’s begin.
So, there’s a pile of travel stuff starting to grow in the corner of our bedroom. And I keep some paper and a pencil next to my bed so I can write down additional items I need to take when I suddenly remember them in the middle of the night.
Forget the excitement of arriving in Madrid. I can’t wait for the excitement at my airport arrival for takeoff. By then I’ll have remembered everything or not. And I can just relax and enjoy the trip. Geez, Jeff, it’s only a week.
Planning a trip? Browse Viator’s Madrid tours and things to do in Spain.
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July 7th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
I love Coffee Break Spanish - highly recommend it. I’ve studied Spanish in school, but its been a great refresher course!
July 11th, 2008 at 3:44 am
Kelly, I like Coffee Break Spanish too. I feel like I’m learning two languages at the same time: Spanish and Scottish (Mark, the lesson’s host, has a thick Scottish accent when he speaks English and what sounds to me like a perfect Spanish accent when he’s speaking Spanish).
The problem I have with these language podcasts is that I’m usually listening to them on the go: walking down the street or on the subway. I’d like to repeat out loud what I’m supposed to but I’m at risk of looking like a nut case to those around me if I do. I’ve gotten a few looks, if you know what I mean.
July 17th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
[...] is off and running again. Catch up ion his posts from last summer or his first post from his most recent trip to Spain. Jeff is the New Media Lead Producer for the Smithsonian American Art Museum and Managing [...]