So...after being in the city for two days, I'm mostly in love with Boston. I'm not putting too much stock in this infatuation, though, because I felt the same way about New Orleans when I was there for a conference (also on a company's dime). When I went back there for a vacation a year later, it lost its magic. I'd definitely like to come back here again, though.
I love business trips, especially by myself. I don't usually see anything noteworthy, but I love the feeling of being dropped into a strange city where I don't know a soul and having to fend for myself for 5 days (with an expense account and a kickass hotel room). It appeals to my solitary nature and sense of adventure, I think, without the bother and personal expense normally associated with traveling alone. I feel bolder, too...I think I've started up more conversations and introduced myself to more people in the past two days than I have in the past two years. It's like I can pretend to be a different person...one who can make small talk, and isn't a timid spaz who mumbles incoherently and gets off the elevator on the wrong floor just because the doors opened. (Though I still do those things.) It also helps that this is an IT conference...I may still be a geek, but I'm hardly ever the biggest geek in the room. It's a nice confidence-booster.
Anyway...Boston. I have been walking my ass off over here, and loving (almost) every minute of it. It's been perfect walking weather, and the conference center is only a 20-30 minute walk from my hotel. I only take the conference shuttles if the bus happens to be sitting right outside the door when I walk out of the hotel, which has been twice. It takes about the same amount of time to ride the bus as it does to walk, and I like the flexibility of being able to stop for stuff on the way. Once I'm at the conference, I walk from one session to another. Then I walk to the expo hall. Then back to sessions, lunch, sessions, back to the hotel, out to dinner...etc. Add that to my walk to breakfast and around the Common and public garden in the morning, and it's a lot of hoofing for this girl. I wish I had brought a pedometer...I bet I've racked up 10-15 miles since Sunday. My calves tell me all about it when I wake up in the morning, too.
In the times I'm not walking or conferencing, I'm reading The Portion Teller. I'm not sure how to feel about it yet. I think sometimes the author is a bit too eager to sensationalize how portions have grown since the 80s, even though some of the statistics there are pretty amazing. The tone has a bit of a "shame on us!" vibe to it that is sort of off-putting. There are some good points made, though--people are terrible at estimating calories, tend to eat in units, and will serve/eat a bigger portion from a bigger container. The visuals to estimate serving/portion sizes are really useful, and the diet plan based on the food pyramid seems sound. I'm holding off on a decision until after I've finished the book, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to try to base my next eating plan on it. Seems like something I could live with, so far.
Well, I'd write more, but I'm fried. I've got an easy day tomorrow, though, so maybe I'll have more to say then.
Posted by Joy at June 13, 2006 08:43 PM