As you read this, I am heading out for a 12 day (including travel time) trip to Rome. It's not quite as exciting as it sounds. Two days are committed to travel and seeing the insides of airports and planes. four days are wall-to-wall meetings and additional meetings take up parts of at least 4 other days. Only one day is guaranteed to be fun.

But I will try to enjoy my surroundings as much as possible. I have a tour of the archaeological explorations under St. Peter's scheduled and one of my meetings is in the Vatican Museum (beats a hotel conference room!). Plus, I'll have several lovely meals (and snacks of gelato) in the environs of Rome. I have a list of stores I want to visit and I'm sure I'll find a few more as I wander about.

I'll try not to think too much about the work piling up on my desk or to stress about the people I'm missing at home.

But while I'm gone, I've left you some blog posts to keep you company!