Traveling Geeks

I’ve been reading with great buckets of envy about the entourage of San Francisco Tech bloggers who are touring Israel together. When I set my envy aside, after all Israel won me over a couple years ago, I can share with you some of my favorite posts so far.

Cathy Brooks, who I sort of know from occasional trips into Seesmic, wrote a beautiful piece about her first trip to the Western Wall in 1995. Craig Newmark, who I met last fall in New York at the OneVoice Blogger Meet-up, writes about a rocket attack and then getting back to business of eating algea. Renee Blodget, who I am only connected to via Deb Schultz, wrote about the Garage Geeks party and about returning to a kibbutz she lived on 20 years ago. Sarah Lacy, again no connection save Deb, writes about not understanding why she can’t have items in her mini-bar that aren’t kosher for passover. Oh how I wish I sit with her in the hotel lobby. Not to proselytize, but to give her some context.

I imagine it is strange to go to Israel without a religious connection, but I suggest it as a great vacation spot to non-jews all the time. Heh, catch-22 much Leah?

I am thrilled that the Consulate General of the Pacific Northwest to organize this trip. It is important to know that Israel isn’t just what is shown on the news. There is so much more than rockets, soldiers, and orthodox of all religions. I hope we get some great reflections and articles from these bloggers once they are home.