Summer Travel Schedule Heats Up

Well, we've five weeks into summer now and so far it's been pretty relaxing. I've been able to catch up on both my sleep and my reading, which were two things high on the list for summer. But starting this weekend, the major traveling begins. Just look at this mess:

June 17-20: Heroes Con, Charlotte, NC
June 23-28: Wizard World Chicago
June 30-July 4: wife's family reunion, Huntsville, AL
July 17-20: My 20-year high school reunion, Kansas City, MO
July 21-25: World International Studies Conference presentation, Ljubljana, Slovenia
July 26-Aug 1: Short holiday in Paris

Needless to say, I will be on the road more than I am at home for the next six weeks. Most of it will be fun activities rather than work, per se, but still, it's a lot of time out of the house, and a lot of time on a plane. I dislike flying.

Europe, One Way or Another

Soccer fans will note that Euro 2008 started earlier this week. While the World Cup may be a more "exciting" tournament due to the worldly nature or it, Euro 2008 is arguably a tougher one to win. There are no patsies here--every team is talented. And the best thing is, for the first time, all of the games are broadcast live and free (assuming you have cable). It used to be pay-per-view.

Finally, my Europe trip is taking all kinds of twists and turns. Originally, I was going to Slovenia with a colleague, then we were going to take a few extra days to visit Prague and Vienna. My partner had to cancel, leaving me by myself. As we all know, traveling is more fun with friends, so I thought about going to Istanbul, where a good friend of mine lives. Unfortunately, she was going to be in China then.

I have another old friend from college who usually is in Europe at times during the summer, so I emailed him with the longshot hopes of him being somewhere in Europe when I am going to be there. Turns out he'll be in Paris, and would love to see me for a few days. And to make matters even better, the wife is going to go and meet me in Paris as well. Looks likes things are going to turn out pretty good!