Dispatches from a Frequent Flyer

It’s no secret: I fly a lot. While I can’t seem to dig up my stats from last year, TripIt (my travel tracking tool of choice) tells me that in the time I’ve been using it (since approximately mid-2010), I’ve clocked 354,000 some-odd miles, traveling to 56 cities and 22 countries. Within my (TripIt) network, my miles are only second to jetsetter Joi Ito‘s. I apparently talk about travel so much that my Twitter parody account claims my status to be Star Alliance INFINITY (it’s actually Gold, guys). So far this year, I’ve spent more time outside of San Francisco than in it.

To be honest, it’s exhausting. I remember when this all started, talking to my friend Ethan Zuckerman, and him telling me that yes, in fact, it does get old. I didn’t believe him at the time. I do now.

And yet, there remains to me nothing more exciting than taking in a new city. Tonight, I arrive in Stockholm, my first time in Sweden, in Scandinavia (I’m writing you from a Lufthansa lounge in Frankfurt airport). Next month, I’ll be in Berlin (an old fave) then will head for the first time to Oslo, and then to the Netherlands to celebrate my 30th birthday with family and friends. In June, it’s Madrid, then Nairobi – both new cities for me. And none of that is counting domestic travel.

And then here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to take off two months from travel. When I first started saying that, last month, my friends laughed at me, scoffed, and said they knew I’d fail. But seriously, in the year that I’ve lived in San Francisco, I’ve really only lived in San Francisco for a week here, a week there. I’ve been working on a top secret project with a friend for a few months now that I’m dying to dig into hardcore, get done. I want to start riding my bike more. I’m really excited about some stuff I’m working on at EFF and want to give it my all. Also, I think my cat sometimes forgets who I am.

So, friends, here’s the deal: From July 4-ish, when I return from Nairobi, until mid-September, when I have a tentative trip already lined up, I am not leaving San Francisco but once, to see my mom and, hopefully, celebrate my dad’s life (more on that later). At the same time, you, friends, are more than welcome to come visit me. With my newfound free weekends, I will clean up my backyard, and we will have barbecues. And it will be awesome.