Both trips that I’m planning for the rest of the year are to cities well-known for being sun-filled meccas: San Diego and Orlando.

I’m not really complaining. I could’ve been sent to LA, for cripes’ sake.

Number of tables taken over: 3
Number of tacos consumed: 2
Number of hours it took to get back home: 1.5
Number of Stuy grads in the group: 2 (incl. M)

“But what we’ve forgotten—and what the science shows—is that we also have a third drive. We do things because they’re interesting, because they’re engaging, because they’re the right things to do, because they contribute to the world. The problem is that, especially in our organizations, we stop at that second drive. We think the only reason people do productive things is to snag a carrot or avoid a stick. But that’s just not true. Our third drive—our intrinsic motivation—can be even more powerful.” — Daniel Pink, “Cognitive Surplus: The Great Spare-Time Revolution”

Room 1242 at the Boston Marriott Copley Place. Late afternoon.

We moved into various hotel rooms during this trip, but these are my favorite views from Hotel Porte Doree.

From Room 43

From Room 42

At the Javits center this afternoon. The girls are incredibly sweet-looking, but the athleticism of the male dancers is incredible.

Travel show gave my diminishing wanderlust a new boost.

From the 25th floor of the Monte Carlo, looking out to the soon-to-open Citycenter

Been trying to get to work on time, as opposed to whenever I get there. I think I’m gutsy to take on such an endeavor during the autumn, when it’s still dark out when I turn off my alarm.

If I were a much more motivated person, I would use the early mornings to go out for a jog, or do some other morning exercise.

But I think I’ll take it one step at a time. Get used to waking up early first, and then we’ll move over to this exercise business.

I walked across this bridge, in the rain, all by myself. I’m not particularly scared of heights, but to be honest, I was nervous for a few seconds there.

From the seventh floor of the Toronto Renaissance Hotel, facing south.