Back in Albany & Travel Tips

I'm back in Albany, my second home, staying in now what I refer to as my studio apartment (aka my hotel). As strange (and maybe sad) as it is, I've probably spent equal time in DC and Albany, arguably more time in Albany. And for my time in Albany, I've spent most of it working. But, I have seen some neat things, like Empire Plaza, a plaza in Albany surrounded by the capital building, the tallest sky scraper outside NYC, a mini reflection pond, and 4 other state buildings. Additionally, Lark Street is actually a fun street with unique restaurants, shops, and bars. The surrounding area, such as Schenectady, is rather charming also with its historic roots dating back to Paul Revere and the industrialization of electricity by GE (and Thomas Edison). I hear there's great skiing nearby also in Killington, a 2 hour drive in Vermont albeit I have not been (nor skiied in six years...).

Today at work I spent a fair amount of time in both excel (developping Job Aids for my project) as well as in User Productivity Kit (a computer simulation program). Fascinating. (Tip for new hires - ask questions when you are unfamiliar with a software!)

Winter has arrived in full force in Albany. After getting a little over a foot of snow in less than twelve hours last week and working from the hotel, six more inches of white presents graced the scenery and road along with an inch of freezing rain/ice. One pro - we get to leave the office early and finish the day from home on such inclement days.

As such, I was able to get a good run (4 miles!) in early this evening. I am planning on training for another half marathon with two friends from DC. I'll update the training status for that as well.

Tips for travel:

• If you can, fit everything into a carry-on. Your luggage never gets lost. If you need more than a carry on for a week, you're bringing too much. :) Re-use sweaters, bottoms, and shoes. To save space, you can pack socks and underwear inside shoes. Additionally, I have become rather adept at rolling my clothes.
• Pack the same things every week. haha IE the number of workout clothes, pajamas, outfits. I can usually pack for a work week in under an hour now.
• Wear shoes and a jacket you can easily slip off for security. You don't want to waste time taking clothing on and off.
• Have your liquids in a bag outside of your bag before you approach the metal detectors. It saves time, and the people behind you will love you.
• Invest in a quality carry-on. I have a Swiss Army carry-on, and I love it. It's held up through months of weekly travel, contains a sleeve for hanging clothes, and can fit enough of my belongings.
• Register for all the rewards programs you can - for airlines (I'm finally a United Premier member!), rental cars (Gold Member!), hotels (Gold status!). Even if you don't make status, sometimes you are able to get better seats on planes, and the companies will have your preferences on file.