The real trick to this mode of travel is the fact that I have to keep working … and not just at an ordinary job, but a startup business that demands my attention at least six days a week. Often retired folks will say, “You’re so lucky to be doing this at your age!” and that’s true, but I envy the retired folks who don’t have to report in to a job every day, and who don’t have to worry about whether they can be reached by phone or get online.

So today was another day at the office. This morning I had a couple of calls to make early, so there I was again, wandering around outside and jabbering into my cell phone. I usually go outside so I can pace while I talk, but also so I can avoid waking Emma.

The difference today was that Mike Young, our Airstream neighbor, was out with his Nikon D70 and a very fast & massive 200mm VR (vibration reduction) lens. He spotted me and took these spy photos above of me talking to one of the magazine’s contributors.

In a campground in Idaho last summer, I was doing this same routine every day, sometimes in my pajamas. A neighbor spotted me and said, “You must not be a very good businessman!” I asked him why he thought that, and he said, “You spend too much time on the phone. You ought to be able to enjoy your vacation!”

Well, obviously this is not vacation. But I do hope to take one next month when we go to Mexico. Our ability to connect via phone and Internet will be limited. I could get a “North American” phone plan from Verizon and have some cell phone service, and I could seek out wi-fi campgrounds and cyber cafes, but instead I think I’ll take a real vacation.

So I’ve been working for months to get the business ready for me to be completely out of touch for two weeks. That might seem easy but it’s really not. After three years of being dependent on my daily involvement, the business needs time to separate from me. But the exercise of getting the business running more independently is healthy. Eventually it will need to stand on its own.

I mention this because those of you who are considering going on the road with their businesses or vocations need to appreciate that in most cases you can’t just flip a switch and go on the road. It takes time to get everything lined up. It took me months to get ready to go mobile, and it has taken months to get ready to go offline. But the effort is ultimately worth the investment.