Did something today I wanted to do a version of for awhile- I cycled to the Dutch astronomers conference! Ok cheated slightly and took the train to Haarlem (as that was a boring stretch of cycling anyway and was another hour) but it was still an hour and a half and luckily my room was free so I could take a quick shower.
Background- conference happens every year, usually a big party and "networking," and this year is up in the middle of the tulip field area (past bloom but oh well- still a lovely area). Thing is from Amsterdam you have to go to Leiden then catch a shuttle bus... I have never known a shuttle bus that didn't piss me off to a conference, and my friends confirmed this one was also overcrowded and such- and you had to meet up at the train station in Amsterdam at 830 to make it on time. Whereas train+bike took me two hours, we are now in the middle of gorgeous weather here, so put some clothes in one pannier and my laptop in the other and rigged the poster tube to ride on top, and headed off for a really gorgeous bike ride.
Additional bonus: we are fairly near the beach at this hotel, so I don't need to rent a bike to go there unlike my friends. Final bonus: room was already ready when I rolled up so I could take a well-deserved shower before showing up at the lectures all smelly.
Looks like our good weather here ends Wednesday, ie last day of the conference, so might have to leave early that day- but hey, great adventure!
And hey, this way I don't feel guilty drinking too much the next two nights.
Yes, I have a life. It's quite different from yours.