Call it a force of habit...

As any good backpacker will tell you, its all about having a small measure of prep done being going somewhere that makes or breaks the adventure in the first few days. In this day and age where massive amounts of information can be found on the internet, this isn't such a difficult thing anymore, but there is certainly something to be said about getting out there and cutting yourself off from the information highway. And for more years than I can count, the best way to have your information without having access to millions of travel blogs was to own a Lonely Planet book dedicated to your destination country. And yesterday, I ordered my copy for Malaysia. Not that I absolutely need it, but it's kind of been a staple of mine where ever I may roam on the Blue Marble we call home. All the info I need is out there, circling the interwebs, but you know, I just like the idea of having it all in one place - but I can be honest and think I will only use it once or twice while away... oh the superstitions and conventions we have and find so difficult to change. LoL! Hell, in the end, I guess the only real purpose the book will have is to sit on my bookshelf after I return and remind me of all of the awesome times I am likely to have. And for $18, that's not such a bad thing...

... and really, who knows? I may end up needing it more than once in the next 12 months ;)