When I packed for my trip to Osaka, Japan last week, I thought long and hard what I needed to get my work done. I knew I’d have broadband access, so I should be able to get into the blogging groove again fairly soon after my arrival. Besides, I had planned on getting some other writing done as well, so I really wanted to make sure I had everything I needed.
Hence, the following content in my hand luggage, in case I should feel inspiration sneak up on me during the flight.
- MacBook, my blog machine so to speak.
- Sony Cybershot T70 digital camera, for pictures from Japan.
- Sony Ericsson K800i mobile phone, a model that works worldwide, so that I can call people.
- My Moleskine notebook, packed with ideas and great for quick notes, and my Moleskine calendar, since I’ve opted out of keeping track of dates and todo lists digitally.
- Leisure things: iPod, PSP, books.
Naturally, I also packed power adapters where needed, but I’ve tried to replace as many of those as possible with USB cables. That way, I just need to charge my computer and can charge my other gadgets that way. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always work.
I also brought an external mouse in my suitcase, should I have to do some last minute photo editing. Touchpads aren’t exactly ideal.
So I’ve got what I need to write the blog posts, take the pictures for them, and I can get in touch with people using my mobile phone or even go online with it should the broadband stop working, and I’ve got schedules and such in my notebook and calendar. Plus cables and power adapters, and some leisure entertainment for when I’m not blogging or prowling the streets of Osaka.
Ready to go, right?
In theory, that’s true. In real life, stepping out into a culture so unlike your own, with a language you can’t understand, and practically nobody speaks English, well, it’s a bit more taxing than expected. Add jetlag, trouble sleeping, and you’re not the blogging monster you planned.
Still, here I am writing a blog post for The Blog Herald. Portability rocks, after all, as long as you bring all the stuff you need, and – perhaps more importantly – realize that you still will have to be able to cope with everything yourself as well.
The computer won’t blog for you, you know.
