On the road...Finally!

The only thing left to do is figure out how to pack 23 days of stuff into carryon luggage, get a few restless hours of sleep, then leave for SFO at about 6 a.m. to arrive, via Philadelphia and Paris in London Saturday morning.  It looks like Chunk #1 of Rick and Shel's big adventure is about to really get off the ground.

It has been about two months since erstwhile terrorists and Chinese typhoons forced us to abort our first attempt to circumnavigate the world in 33 days. Not going then was painful, but it made us wiser. First we learned that the small world we write about sow facilely is still pretty big when you try to connect the dots of all the places where social media is taking off thanks to the connected world. Second, Rick and I have become much closer, much more of a team, thanks in part to Rick's using me to advise a couple of his portfolio companies--MusicIP and a search engine that has fingerprinted most of the music on the Internet and b5media, the new media network that looks to me like a poster child for what global neighborhoods is about. B5 is now my one and only sponsor for this global trip and I hope, in return, to bring them back a few really passionate new bloggers to bolster their global network of about 100.

Between this Saturday and Halloween, Rick and I will be meeting interesting people in London, Brighton, Cork, Edinburgh, Dublin,Brussels, Stockholm, Tallinn (Estonia) and Rome. We are speaking a couple of times and listening most of the time. It's all about conversations--young people with dreams and older people who understand the historic perspective. I hope to tell serve you some tasty slices of their stories.

In the end, Rick should have a very unique investor's perspective of what lurks around the corners of the world in terms of technology. Talking to the same people in the same conversation about the same issues, I am very hopeful that I will have one Hell of a second book.

When I look at what Rick and I have experienced, since he first approached me with this idea last winter, I think maybe the subtitle for Global Neighborhoods will end up being--Two guys on the road in search of a Global Village." We shall see.

Hopefully, a good many of you will collaborate with me on Global Neighborhoods, just as hundreds of you made Naked Conversations so much better than it would have been without the blogosphere's help.

Rick wants to see what's around the corner by meeting people with good ideas and I want to collect stories of people and companies in an attempt to write a book about what the Connected world looks like once it fills in and plumps up a bit. I guess the emerging theme is "two guys on the road in search of a global community."

Starting in a day or two, I'll be posting notes on this web site.  They will be labeled "Global Notebook, followed by a specific subject" In fact, earlier posts from Hawaii and Canada will be part of this Global Notebook.  I'm collaborating with the blogosphere earlier than Robert and I did with Naked Conversations and some of my entries will be rougher stuff--just think out loud notes. Unlike Naked, Global will also be more visual.  I'll post lots of pictures and have scores more on Flickr.

But I need your help.  Naked Conversations came out well because hundreds of you pointed us to interesting cases, suggested new topics, checked our facts, told us when we were boring or brilliant, credible or over-the-top. Please do it again for Global Neighborhoods.

As the lady says in Bob Fosse's Chicago, "I simply cannot do it alone." Please get some vicarious pleasure from following our journeys and please help me make this an even better book than the last one was.

Comments

[Conor O'Neill]

Looking forward to seeing you guys in Cork. Safe travelling.

[Pat Phelan]

Looking forwarding to seeing you guys Shel.
Have a safe journey.

[Gary Short]

Hey guys, while you are as far up in Scotland as Edinburgh, you might want to pop in and say "hi" to us. We are based in Dundee (about an hour away). We do lot's of interesting stuff, including the official (British) Open 2007 blog/vlog (http://www.carnoustiegolflinks.co.uk/blog) and a tech vlog centered on the great tech in Dundee and the surrounding area (http://www.thedundeemercury.co.uk). If you are interested, give me a shout. :)

[Jeremiah Owyang]

Wow you're getting some "Global Spam" above.

Shel best wishes on your trip, looking forward to reading your notes on the road.

[Joseph Thornley]

"B5 is now my one and only sponsor for this global trip and I hope, in return, to bring them back a few really passionate new bloggers to bolster their global network of about 100."

Smart. Very, very smart on the part of b5media!

[shel]

How are the travelers doing? Any interesting tidbits yet?
Look forward to seeing pictures and hearing, once again. the results of how "Naked Conversations" can bring together people from all over, sharing their ideas, concerns and dreams in an environment that promotes listening, respect and awareness.

Just me, Paula- who is soo proud of her husband!

[shel israel]

Honey,

I am so grateful that I married you and that I've had so much support from you over all these zany years. Im sorry I did not get to say goodnight to you, so I'll say it here instead. The good news is that my bags just arrived. The ordeal is over.

[Andrew Durkin]

Hi Shel,
Great to meet you on Saturday night, hope the luggage appeared - maybe the airline you flew with are hooked in and thought leaving you without clothes might make your conversation more naked :-). Also thanks to Hugh, Rick and yourself for your candid thoughts - the podcast of which can be found here www.stonkblog.com
Take care,
Andrew

[Jonathan Puddle]

While you're in Tallinn, you've got to check out the old city. I recommend you eat at Olde Hansa, the medieval restaurant. Trust me, you can order bear on the menu.

[Jayvee Fernandez]

Shel,

It would be great if you could drop by the Philippines one day. There are a handful of us b5'ers here and it would be great to meet you as an ambassador of our network and as a great author :)

[Bruce Curley]

Shel,

For another perspective, you might want to contact:

http://www.gmfus.org/experts/expert.cfm?id=11

Transatlantic Center
The German Marshall Fund of the United States
Résidence Palace
Rue de la Loi 155 Wetstraat
1040 Brussels, Belgium
Map It!
Tel: 32 2 238 5270
Fax: 32 2 238 5299
Email: infobrussels@gmfus.org

He's an old friend from my Johns Hopkins days (School of Advanced International Studies) days. I helped edit a book on NATO expansion. He's a brilliant guy who thinks globally like many of us breath.

[Michael Walsh]

Hi Shel,
If you happen by Milan, I'll be looking out for you. Or, if you only get as close as Rome, you might have to shout a little louder. It'll be well worth the trip!