Note from the Admin: John’s Duffel Thanksgiving 2009 was selected “Daily Duffel” for 2/18/10. Daily Duffel authors are invited to comment on their experiences for the Duffelup Journal. This is what John had to say:
I created the Duffel to help me visually manage things I wanted to do while I was going to be in Washington D.C. for several different events. It was the Thanksgiving holiday and I was spending time with family, seeing my brother perform at The Kennedy Center (it was the first-ever performance of the Nutcracker there), attending a work luncheon and, finally, having some downtime to do focused sightseeing. Lots of variables and some that were moving targets (i.e. family time). So, Duffel solved a few problems for me. Not only could I visualize my itinerary - it helped the organization process in creating the itinerary too. I had asked friends, colleagues, posted on my blog, did my own research, etc. Duffel gave me a place to dump all this stuff and then piece it together as trip details became finalized over time.
I created it by myself but I shared it with family members in-case they wanted to add anything or tag along. I’ve used Duffel previously to put together vacations with my girlfriend though and the collaboration aspect is very useful. There were lots of moving parts and Duffel helped visualize and place things with the flexibility to easily move them around at a moment’s notice, etc.
The trip went great. If you’ve been to a place several times already and done the requisite tourist attractions, it’s always fun to go off the beaten path and focus your travel to get the most out of it. For example, instead of trying to go to all the museums - focus on one, and really explore it. Like many other things, people are traveling to “get away” but usually don’t get a chance to really change their mindset if they plan every minute and stuff as many things as possible into one day. What have you done then? You’ve just stayed busy somewhere else. I think being able to visualize my trip and really understand what a person does in one day to not overwhelm themselves helped me ensure that I enjoyed my time away - not just spent it.
Sounds like the trip was a success John. Thanks for the insightful comments! You can view John’s Duffel here: Thanksgiving 2009
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