Will Kelly

Reflections on Eating Out Alone

Whether I am traveling or working from home, I like to go out to eat alone and have a lot of observations on the experience.

When I was freelancing, going out to lunch was a much needed diversion and getting out of my home office though I frequented one of my normal haunts so the bartenders and other staff knew me.

While on business trips my experience with dining out alone has been somewhat different

More Travel Lessons

Having a manager who has forgotten about domestic and international travel that I will ever know means I've had to really step up and become a better business traveler.

Travel Lessons

My current job requires that I travel a good bit which is a big change over my former life as a contractor, freelancer, and consultant. One of my New Year's resolutions for 2009 is to become a better business traveler.

2008: A Year in Review

I had a good run both personally and professionally in 2008.  It was the year I turned 40 and left writing and consulting and found some more peace

Business Trip to Israel

While I live in Virginia, my new employer's corporate office is in Woburn, MA just outside of Boston. My company's R&D group is located in Rehovot, Israel which is a suburb of Tel Aviv.

One of the first acts of starting my new job was to visit the R&D group in Rehovot. It was farther than I've ever flown with a 14 hour flight connecting through Zurich on the way there and another 14 hour flight connecting through Charles De Gaulle Airport on the way back. Landing in Israel for the first time was a unique experience because I never felt so far away from home in my life.

Meeting my colleagues in R&D face to face was a valuable step to building a new working relationship with them. It was also valuable getting a window into Israeli culture and working styles. The food was excellent and I found Tel Aviv to be a very cosmopolitan city.

Road Review: MacBook Air

I took my MacBook Air along on a recent New York City trip and the machine behaved like a champ both on the Amtrak Acela and in my hotel room.

It was great that I was able to stow my MacBook Air (in its protective sleeve) in my backpack versus having to carry a separate laptop bag. I like to travel light when I am on vacation.

Road Review: Amazon Kindle

I took my Amazon Kindle with me to provide reading material  when I was taking the Amtrak Acela on my recent trip to New York City.

My Kindle was a Christmas present last year and it has taken me a long time to get used to the device because ever since I was a kid, I've found comfort in print books. Reading books was also a big part of my life when I was an English Major in college.

My Moleskine Notebook versus the Rain

Part of the plan on my NYC trip was to write some for myself and capture any ideas and thoughts that came to me as I went around the city. As such, I carried a Moleskine notebook in the pocket of my cargo shorts.

The notebook I was carrying got wet when I was caught in a rain shower and I was impressed that while the cover spine started to crack, the ink on the paper pages didn't run and overall the notebook kept its integrity and my random synaptical firings intact.

While I've just about foresaken writing with pen to paper, the Moleskine notebook is becoming a valued way for capturing ideas and thoughts as they come to me versus having to haul around my laptop or wait until I get to a computer.

August 2008 Trip to New York City

I took a short trip to NYC for a few days and as always it was good to get out of the Washington area. Walking the streets in New York City always helps me clear my head. In fact, I walked so much that my shins still ache a bit.

Big Guy In Flight

A confession first, I am a big guy (6' 2" and well over 200 lbs). This means flying in airline coach class can be an uncomfortable experience. As such, I always try to get an aisle seat when I fly coach.

On previous trips, I've been nice to gate attendants and flight attendants to get an exit row or a bulkhead seat. However, with today's online travel sites and reduced flight schedules I've had less chances to play both these cards.

I always try to be respectful of other traveler's spaces in spite of my discomfort. Issues of space in the cattle car of American Airlines coach class struck on both legs of my trip even when I was in the aisle row.

Miami Beach Vacation

Staying true to my resolution for work/life balance, I took a vacation last week. While my blackberry came along, my laptop stayed at home to fend for itself.

So off I went to Miami Beach and enjoy some sun, surf, beers, and cocktails. Laying out on the beach has become a rather cathartic experience for me as I've gotten older. It clears my head and I find it relaxing.

My Personal and Professional Resolutions for 2008

I am coming off of a great 2007 but still have some  personal and professional resolutions for 2008:

• Take three trips in 2008 for vacations.
• Pay more attention to work/life balance while still maintaining my current professional run.
• Pursue strategic projects and articles that can broaden my client base and further establish my technical expertise.
• Continue moving forward on my list of major house projects since with the current housing market and the upcoming BRAC mean I am in no position to move.
• Take some much needed professional training so I can set myself up to take some important next steps.

Back from Vacation

Some highlights from my recent trip to Miami Beach include:

• Long days spent offline in a lounge chair on the beach reading books and drinking smoothies and other beverages.
• Excellent seafood and cuban food
• $3.00 beers at Zeke's Road House with a selection of over 180 beers!
• Reading books that were about topics other than software development or project management.

Vacationing hasn't been a strong suit these past few years though my trip to England last year showed me I do need some downtime.

Back to New York

Recently, I took a few days to reacquaint myself with New York City and got to enjoy some great weather. Some of my friends were surprised I didn't hit the beach but the summer isn't over yet.

• $7.00 for a beer got a bit expensive compared to drinking beer in Northern Virginia but hey I was on vacation. However, Brooklyn Brewery makes a great Summer Ale. If only I could find it in Northern Virginia.
• Nobody can do a slice of pizza like New York City.
• Nobody can do Italian food like New York City (except for Italy).
• While Times Square has cleaned itself up, going out at night was still a spectacle.
• There were a lot of europeans in town with arms full of shopping bags

Walking through Piccadily Circus

British Tech

The Europeans are so far ahead of us when it comes to wireless phones and mobile computing.

Along the River Thames

During my trip to London, I spent a good deal of time along the River Thames. Here are some pictures from my Treo 650:

Inside London Pubs

I visited a number of pubs during my time in London. Here are some pictures from my Treo 650:

Italian Restaurants in London

There are a lot of jokes about English food. My London dining experience showed the city is full of Italian restaurants and pizzerias. In some places I saw two or three Italian restaurants on a city block...and I wasn't in a Little Italy sort of area. While I didn't have any pizza in London, I did indulge in Italian food on two occasions.

Lamborghinis in London

Lamborghini dealerships were aplenty in London...