Michael Bontempi
[singlepic=49,175,240,,right]I am by no means an “inexperienced” traveler. My job, at times, required me to spend a significant amount of time away from home. Over the last 14 years, I have lived in dozens of cities and worked in all but a few US States. Some assignments lasted a few months, others for an entire year.
I did take two vacations a year, visiting exotic locations and trying new experiences (e.g. surfing). But I was never away from the office for more than a week at a time and always reachable by either cell phone or email.
This was the first time I traveled for an extended period with only a personal agenda. Some will see this as the act of a burned out employee. I saw this trip as a chance to experience a portion of my retirement 25 years earlier in my life.