I was talked into going to Amsterdam with a buddy from Atlanta and few other folks, 3 of whom I did not know. I managed to get a ticket from Austin to Amsterdam for 600, so, I was out of excuses not to go. So, we got an apartment on Kaisergracht and comfortably housed 6 people for a few days.

From Madrid to Toledo to Granada. Then to Tarifa with a brief skip over to Tangiers. Lagos Portugal for a couple of days, then to Sevilla, Cordoba and then back to Madrid.

So, it was one of those rare and special opportunities where I had quit one job, signed papers on a new one, had a big fat severance check, and the new employer gave me 5 weeks before I needed to start? What to do? Burn as many American Airlines and Hilton miles and go for as long and for as far as I could. Exchange rate be damned!

I boondoggled my way to Singapore for work, so I figured, why not go to Bangkok, as long as I am here. And so, I found an old friend of mine who had chucked her old corporate life and was going from one adventure or ashram to the next in India, Laos, Nepal and Thailand. Good times.

I went to Singapore for work on a complete boondoggle. We had a great guy who worked for one of our third party logistics providers who showed us the town. Singapore is clean, safe and cosmopolitan. Some people find it sterile, I found it fascinating! It was also during Christmas where they light up the city!