The Happy Wanderer

The Washington Bug Room - A Travel Reflection

Free museums are awesome, and Washington D.C has tons of them.  This is how I spent one romantic vacation with the Travel Boyfriend, ducking in and out of exhibits on Indians, Spaceflight and bugs.

If you hate bugs, the Insect Zoo at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History may be a bit creepy.  I'm not a huge fan of crawlies with more than four legs, but the Travel Boyfriend couldn't wait to see them.  So I put on my Fabulous Girlfriend Hat and followed him in.

The ick factor is high when you put your face a foot away from something with three hundred eyes, but I liked the idea of "safely" interacting with the creatures.  They couldn't get me and I could make fun of them.  I strolled around the first two cages congratulating myself for being brave.

Two minutes later my phone rang.  It was the Writer's Digest calling to say they were going to publish an essay of mine.  This being the first time I was ever published, the Travel Boyfriend and I jumped up and down and hugged and we both blew kisses at the tarantulas.

For the rest of my life, I will have a soft spot for bugs in glass aquariums.

Thanks to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History for the photo.

What's Pittsburgh Podcamp? - PCPGH3

Here I am with blogger and social media expert Chris Brogan.  His blog is one I always look forward to reading and I got to meet him because I attended the third annual Pittsburgh Podcamp (known online as PCPGH3).

Podcamp is one of many innovative events that are held annually in Pittsburgh. Called an unconference by the organizers, Podcamp provides three days of panel discussions, classes and networking.  They provide food, best practices advice and a chance to learn from other Internet experts.  The best part is it's all 100% free.

I would say nearly 150 people showed up on Saturday ready to learn and share their experiences.  The crowd ranged from twenty-five-year-old boys blogging in their spare time to women in their seventies who wanted to learn how to create podcasts.


 

Something that struck me about these folks who work on the Internet is how much they are concerned with everyday issues.  Some of them, like me, are fascinated with technology and also want to speak to an audience.  Others had store front businesses they were simply trying to enhance with online techniques.  And a group, spear-headed by Chris Brogan, spent a lot of time talking about how social media makers can help be a "voice" for the greatness of Pittsburgh.

While attending the podcamp, I realized that computers are no longer just fancy gadgets.  People everywhere have used them to do what humans do best: tell stories, make new friends and improve our overall quality of life.

Do you have any questions about Pittsburgh Podcamp? Have you ever attended a similar event?  Let me know if you are a blogger who wants to start a dialogue about how computers, travel and making friends go together.