New Additions to My Travel Pack
2 commentsTo prepare for my trip to Amsterdam and London this week, I have purchased the following items. My goal is to minimize luggage. This will help make travel easier between each place that I sleep.
- Collapsible 1 Liter Water Bottle, $6.99 at REI
I listed this first because I am the most excited about this item. My 1 liter Nalgene bottle is too large to carry in a small day-bag. This product (called a Platypus) has a screw-nozzle top. - Medium-size Travel Towel, $12.99 at REI
The towel measures 15.5" x 27.5". I have used it to dry off out of the shower for the past few days. I originally purchased a less expensive ($4) yellow camping towel. This REI-brand multi-towel is superior for its texture and drying ability. - 2 oz Plastic Containers, $.65 at REI
I bought three of these to hold daily nutritional needs, like whey protein powder or multi-vitamins. - 500ml Nalgene Water Bottle, $7.99 at REI
I needed something small to hold liquids securely, but with a wide mouth cap. This holds 14 oz of liquid. I plan to shake up my protein drinks in this container, or use it to easily carry juice during the day. - Emergency Rain Poncho, $.99 at Dick's Sporting Goods It has a hood. I hope I don't need this. I should consider my rain needs more carefully, but even a travel umbrella takes up too much room for my liking.
- Starkist Tuna - Flavor Fresh Pouch (3 oz), $.99 at Wal-Mart
Tuna is a very nutritious snack, and I have been telling myself to incorporate more fish into my diet. With each Flavor Fresh Pouch, I am also packing one small box of Sun-Maid Raisins and one small packet of light mayonnaise. I will mix these together for a mid-day snack during my travels. - Assorted Clothes, $8 to $30 at Various Retailers
Glove liners ($8), long-sleeve Nike Quick Dry thermal shirt ($14), Wrinkle-free black slacks ($30). - Total Shaving Solution - 1oz Bottle, $15 at TotalShavingSolution.com
I read about this on CoolTools. I bought the samples for $2 on their site. I was impressed. This product will replace my shaving cream, both at home and on the road. You only need three to five drops and then you rub the oil on your skin before shaving. Neat. - gorillapod Digital Camera Tripod, Gift from my mom
She just gave this to me as an early birthday present. I will be borrowing her Canon PowerShot SD600 for my trip.
I will also be taking a variation of my standard safety kit.
The Day After Thanksgiving
What the Day After Thanksgiving Means to Me
By Nick Gray
The Day After Thanksgiving is as special to me as Thanksgiving. In as much as I enjoy the company of my family, I certainly appreciate the thrill of nationalized shopping.
The Day After Thanksgiving is a time to meet friends and catch-up with neighbors. We bump into each other near the PlayStation 3 console demo at Target. And we talk about textile imports (and your new job!) at Pier 1.
I like the Day After Thanksgiving because it is very normal to wake up early. Entire families enjoy breakfast at four o'clock a.m. before braving the dark highways towards their local mall.
One often-overlooked aspect of the Day After Thanksgiving is the 18-hour window of time before morning. Like Christmas Eve, the Night Before the Day After Thanksgiving holds anticipation. But, more so than on Christmas Eve, the Night Before the Day After Thanksgiving is filled with pages and pages of study. At no other time do the print advertisements of major retail companies receive such attention.
In conclusion, I like the Day After Thanksgiving very much. It is a good time to meet friends, wake up early, and study consumer marketing.
Upcoming Travel - London and Amsterdam
My 25th birthday is on December the 8th, so I treated myself to this quick trip.
- Amsterdam from November 30 - December 2.
- London from December 3 - December 10.
In London, I will be hosted by my friend Mark Ellison. He has just finished his Master's degree. Supposedly, Mark even speaks some Arabic now!
I have never been to London. I will make a few visits to our customers in the United Kingdom. I also want to go up north to lunch with Peter Cooper.
Otherwise, my schedule is open. Do you have any friends or organizations in Amsterdam or London that I should meet? I am also looking for a friendly place to sleep for one night in London.
Sales Call Notes
Random facts from a sales consultant we met with last week:
Approximately 80% of all sales occur between the second and fifth call. However, the vast majority of salespeople quit after the first call. Furthermore, only 20% of any sales force makes the third call…and that is when the majority of sales occur.- Approximately 80% of sales are lost because the salesperson failed to establish an element of trust and credibility with the prospect.
- The highest single paid career in the United States is sales, even exceeding law and medicine.
My Hot New Diet - Whey and Oats
My dad told me that I am fat. "Your face is getting puffy. You need to stop trying so hard to gain weight."
Little does he know that I have a hot new diet. I am no longer drinking three
cans of Boost per day. Instead, I make whey protein milk shakes.
Sometimes I add a secret ingredient to my whey protein shakes - steel cut oats. I microwave 80 grams of oats with 8 ounces of water. Then I put the oats in a blender with 24 grams of whey protein and 8 ounces of skim milk. Combined, it is about five hundred calories and forty grams of protein. And very little fat.
I have also started to take creatine. Twice per day, I consume
3 grams of Creatine Ethyl Ester Malate and 2 grams of Glutamine AKG. These cell volumizing
agents are conveniently packaged by BSN in their CellMass product.
Today I weighed in at 177.5lbs. In thirty days, I will update you on my progress.
Update - This post probably sounds pretty obsessive. It kind of is. I am really spending a lot of time and effort to get bigger and see how much I can change my body in good health. But I am also obsessed with measurements, thus the focus that this post has on numbers.
Sunday night personal notes - My Weekend
My best friend Zach Klein came to visit me this weekend. Zach and I were roommates in college together; now he lives in Manhattan. For a summary of our events on Friday, click here to read Zach's blog entry.
On Saturday, we went to visit our friends in Athens, Georgia. Jakob
Morris's band Ham1 was opening for the Finnish performer Mattoid.
Jakob invited the Mattoid band to crash at his place after the concert.
The after-party was an absolute riot. Zach, Jake, Everett and I had so much
fun together again. I laughed so hard that I was either crying or dancing in
place for a majority of the night.
For all my talk about hard work and focus, it sure felt great to let loose on Saturday night. This Thanksgiving, I will be thankful for quality time with my friends.