This week I’m…
Interviewing on the fly, in a wetsuit
Travelling
Heading to Fiji tomorrow for 8 nights, mostly for work purposes. I’ll be visiting the Jean-Michel Cousteau Eco Resort on assignment for an upcoming story. Can’t wait!
Organising
My travel writer’s toolkit, to make sure I’ve got everything I need to write and interview from the road, as well as checking in with my students doing Online Travel Writing. Mp3 recorder, notebook, Dell netbook all key items when I’m travelling for work. For fun, I’m borrowing my partner’s Kindle, as on my last trip I took 4.5 KILOS of reading material. I’m definitely ready for an e-reader.
Enjoying
The great feedback on my new iPhone/iPad app – Yoga Holidays Worldwide. Thanks guys!
As for the pic? That’s just to prove that life as a travel writer is not always glamourous. First time I’ve done an interview in a wetsuit – and I suspect it may not be the last.
Yes you must get an e-reader. I am a recent convert. Got an ipad for Christmas and now have the kindle app – and will never look back. Off to Vietnam in April and I’ll be taking the ipad to stay in touch with business and emails and to use for my travel reading – so kills 2 birds with one stone!
Love the photo. have a great trip.
Kindle update post (rainy but beautiful) Fiji – I like it for travelling (going to get one). But still like paper books for really switching off. Still, the kindle was a complete winner in terms of not lugging mountains of books. I read three books in 7 days on latest trip, so it gets a bit ridiulous!
Can’t see me using an e-reader in my daily life yet. Something about a paper book says “relax” in a way an electronic device doesn’t. But ask me again in a year!
Lucky you, heading off to Fiji for work!
How do you connect to the net while overseas? Do you use roaming or pick up pre-paid internet when you’re there?
Hi Kat,
Hmm. I do something completely radical, and basically try to have no internet. Well, at least no roaming on my phone. Depends where I’m going but here’s my general method:
*If it’s a cheap country and I’m staying in cheap places (ie: no wireless), I use internet cafes. Usually cheap and it keeps you efficient – sitting in a hotel on the wireless you can waste time that would be better spent exploring, in my opinion.
*If it’s an expensive country and/or I’m travelling as a travel writer (which usually means I’m in a nice hotel), I use my dell netbook (about $300) and connect to wireless from my hotel or a cafe (preferred). When the Dell dies I’ll probably trade up for an iPad but as I’ll need an external keyboard too this isn’t as neat a solution as it sounds (can’t type stories on an iPad – fast – without a keyboard).
*Either way I put an out of office on my phone and just tell people to email me if urgent.
*If I abosutely need a phone while i’m away I get a local sim for phone calls, but I find I’m usually not there long enough to need this.
*I try to organise as much as possible before I go away so I can be phone free when overseas – it’s the only time I can so I treasure the experience and am reluctant to be avail on phone while away. Also, I’m also usually pretty busy researching the story I’m there on, so find that I don’t have lots of free time to jump online even if I wanted to.
*I’ve also cheated and started having my assistant monitor my emails if I think all that’s going to fail (for example, I’m in a busy period and think a week away from email might cause problems).
S