What worked

• Duffle bag used for short overnight trips. The majority of the trip was in Shanghai, but I took two, two-day side trips to Hangzhou and Nanjing. If I were to bring my big suitcase with me, it would have been somewhat of a hassle on the train as the overhead area isn’t that deep.
• 26” suitcase. I knew I was going to buy things while out there, but I didn’t know how much extra space I needed. The 26” suitcase felt really empty on my way out there, but on the way back it was the perfect size for everything I brought back home. I didn’t extend the suitcase either, so there was still room to spare.
• Lowepro Versapack 200 AW – I took this bag everywhere with me. The top compartment was large enough to store all the non-camera stuff I needed for that day. It also was able to hold all the various items I bought while on the trip. The bottom section took care of my DSLR and other camera related items. Backpack straps and design made it comfortable to use throughout the trip.
• R-strap for my DSLR camera. This strap is much more comfortable and easier to use than my op/tech strap.
• Vitamin C. I took 500mg pills and lots of cough drops with me. Thankfully, I never caught a cold out there.

What didn’t work

• Bringing smaller US currency. You will ultimately exchange it all, so why bring smaller bills? Maybe a few dollar bills is fine, but no need for $10 or $20s.
• Original Sonicare toothbrush /w power converter. I love my Sonicare toothbrush, and I brought it with me. The one downside to the original model is that its only rated for 120 watts so I needed a power converter to recharge the device while in China. For whatever reason, it never fully charged which resulted in one session per a several hour charge. This wasn’t a huge failure, but I did have to bring the charging station with me on the side trips. If the device was able to hold a full charge, I would have been one item lighter while on the side trip. I think the only solution here would be to buy the newer model.
• Wallet designed for US currency. The RMB is a bigger than the USD so my wallet never closed properly.

What I should do or buy for next time

• Electronic translator. Either a dedicated one, or an ipod touch /w an app. Not being able to speak Chinese in certain areas where nobody speaks English makes things difficult.
• Emergency items in case I miss a flight. Because of weather issues in Shanghai, I missed my original flight home and ended up staying an additional 10 hours in Hong Kong. Since I already checked my suitcase, I didn’t have much with me so perhaps bring a change of clothes and some various toiletries with me in the case I’m stuck somewhere.
• Bug spray? I probably got bit over ten times on my body, and I think on my last trip out there, I got bit several times as well.

Overall, I think I did fairly well in terms of gear that I bought on this trip. Next post will have a bunch of pictures from the trip. I just need to process them first.

• Attended 26 events – a combination of conferences, workshops, and training classes.
• Launched another startup.
• Built several applications that are in use by many today.
• Last year’s startup is gaining more traction.
• Traveled 12 times, being on the road for 46 days.

Hopefully next year will be just as productive, with less time on the road. Thanks to all that helped and supported me through all my various projects.

The rest of the year doesn’t seem that bad. I have one or two more business trips, and then some well needed vacation time. The hard question is if I want to do more traveling during my vacation time. I enjoy traveling and love to explore, but my body might be exhausted by then.

I finally got a room with a decent view this time. Is this Encore hotel an extension to Wynn, or a separate thing? I’m starting to get confused on all these brand expansions. Venetian has the Palazo, and Mandalay Bay has THEhotel. 

Speaking of back home, my sister and her family visited me yesterday. I haven’t seen my nieces in a while and they are growing quickly. Here is a cute picture of Ashley.

And tomorrow is supposed to be even hotter! Remember to drink lots of water and try to stay cool out there.

I’m on a two week assignment in Kansas City right now. It’s been a while since I’ve been here, and I’m glad it not super hot / humid. I’ll also be working nights, so lets hope that my sleep schedule doesn’t get too mixed up.

The Sprint Center is now open, and there has been a lot of development in that area, now called the Power and Light District. The area brings a much needed life back to downtown Kansas City. One restaurant that I am looking forward to is Jack Stack. I hear their ribs and burnt ends are amazing. Anyone else have recommendations on what to do in Kansas City?

This week I am at the Marriott Hotel at Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for the Hacker Halted conference. The hotel is right on the beach, and the weather is quite nice (not too hot, not too humid).

The conference will take up most of my time here, but I hope to visit the new Hard Rock Park, and Broadway at the Beach at night. One thing I didn’t see were volleyball courts on the beach :( Maybe I will just go for a nice run along the shore.

So here is my story on trying to get home from Vegas. Everyone boarded the plane, and we left the gates, ready to depart. But then a passenger noticed that there was a bolt loose on one of the wings! Eventually he got the attention of the pilot, who then confirmed the issue. How the heck can someone visually miss a bolt loose on the wing?! Did anyone even inspect the plane before it left the gates?

The pilot told us that there is a chance it could be repaired, so the plane moved back towards the gates, and we sat there for 30 minutes or so while the maintenance crew inspected the plane. Eventually they determined that the bolt wasn’t something they could easily just put back in, so we had to all exit the plane and find a new plane. Another hour later, we finally got a new plane and headed home safely.

I wonder if that bolt was loose for some time or it just happened recently. I wonder if there are any other stories like mine out there. I hope the FAA throws down the hammer to them. Or will it take a major incident before they start paying attention? Crazy huh?

Here are some of my highlights of the year:

• Covered 21 events – Many of them as press.
• Launched another startup.
• Several pictures I took were used in 2 magazines.
• Traveled to different 13 places – 12 in the United States and 1 in Canada.
• Utilized an index card system for achievable tasks list, and daily to-dos.
• Created several 0day exploits.

And for the next year, I hope to post more on information addiction / overload and my security research findings.