Damn. I’ve been back in the States for a little over 24 hours, and my body is still in pain. My Copenhagen trip last week started off great. It was mellow, I was walking around, exploring a new country, a new city, living in the moment while digesting my new surroundings. Then I started to meet people, passionate people full of energy, enthusiasm, and goodwill. You spend a few hours with these folks, and they blow your mind.    (L2Y)

That’s how it all started. The brain, which I had previously set to passive mode, kicked into active gear. Then WikiSym happened, and for three days and nights, I was constantly surrounded by another group of brilliant, passionate people. The brain kept consuming, and when the little safety valve in the back of my head told me to slow down, the brain kicked that valve shut and kept cranking. After dinner on the last night, slowed by a newly acquired cold and a week of little sleep, my body told me to shut it down. My brain just laughed. “You’ll be traveling for almost 20 hours tomorrow. Suck it up.”    (L2Z)

So I sucked it up. Went out for beers with a large group of people, closed down the bar, then headed to the hotel casino with the remnants of the group for a fresh batch of conversation. Shut down the casino too, and finally went to bed. A few hours later, I was on a train back to Copenhagen, and 24 hours later, I was back in San Francisco.    (L30)

Back in the day, I used to flaunt my endurance. Late night bull session? A mere jog in the park. All night work session? If the work was interesting, I’d gladly go two. Back in the day, I could back it up. Now, not so much. But old habits die hard, and now I’m paying the price. I’m suffering from severe jet lag, the cold has kicked into second gear, and I now have a stack of new information and experiences to digest into knowledge, in addition to the piles of work that were already waiting for me when I returned home.    (L31)

And you know what? I don’t regret it one damn bit. I had an outstanding time in Denmark. I saw many old friends, and made many new ones. My mind is churning with ideas, and I got a lot of work done. Sure, I could have stopped and smelled the roses a bit more than I did, but the roses are still around, and I’m smelling them now. Sadly, my body finally beat my bravado, and I’m missing the one year anniversary of Bar Camp this weekend, but it’s a fair tradeoff. Besides, that’s what the Wiki is for.    (L32)