Most people would agree that when you vacation in a foreign country, it's best to stay with a local (or at least spend some quality time with one). I would say the same is true for workshifting.

My recent workshifting trip through Denmark was probably the best vacation/work/travel I have ever had. My Danish hosts were not only warm and welcoming, they treated to me to a taste of Denmark I would not have had the opportunity to experience otherwise. From traditional Danish food and drinks, to spending time with the family, to seeing the city sights and enjoying the beautiful country serenity - I got a complete insider's peek into Denmark.

Workshifting was easier while I was in Denmark too. This surprised me since I thought it would be hard to find time to work when staying with a friend. But in fact, my hosts and I often set up shop together; at the kitchen table after dinner or on the sofa over coffee and butter cookies, laptops and phones would appear and we'd get some serious work done. Staying with my friends also meant a guaranteed wifi connection - something that has proven a bit allusive on this trip. Most coffee shops, restaurants and hotels do not offer open wifi like they do in the U.S. Happily, I purchased an international data plan for my phone before leaving home (a must if you plan on doing any email, social sites, maps, etc. while traveling). I have not purchased a European SIM card for my iPad (as you need to purchase one for every country you plan on using the device in), so the lack of wifi access has been a challenge for being able to get most of my regular work done. The good news? In Germany, you can get 2 free hours of wifi access at Starbucks (and most of the staff at these stores speak English so they can answer any other basic questions you might have). There are also a great deal of T-Mobile hotspots in Europe, so purchasing a monthly plan is also a pretty viable option at 29 Euros.

My other main learning on the trip is that while most businesses are accustomed to accepting plastic for payment, many will not accept a card that only requires a signature (i.e., a credit card). Your debit card will often work since it will require you to use a PIN, but many businesses only accept an European Community (EC) card (which are currently only available in Europe). So be sure to bring your debit card along and carry plenty of euros to take care of a night's stay in a little B&B or breakfast at a little bakery in town.

In spite of how technologically advanced the European economy is, there has still been a great deal of amazement at how simply we are able to travel and work. Our tools are basic but effective - the bike, a computer, a phone and a wifi connection are all we need.

It's never a good time to take a vacation. There's always a reason to wait until next month, next quarter, next year... Eventually, you have to just jump in and decide, okay, it's time to take a break or do something a little bit different.

The problem for me is, making a trek to anywhere that requires a passport means I definitely want to go for more than 1 or 2 weeks, and ideally it would be for more like 3-4 weeks. But who can afford to be completely away from the office for that long?

So, about a month ago I casually mentioned to my co-worker at Citrix Online that I would love to workshift from charming cafés while cycling through the European countryside. The next thing I knew, she, my manager and I were planning the trip!

Using GoToMeeting and GoToMyPC, I can work from anywhere (I've done it many a time when traveling home for the holidays or visiting friends), so why not workshift while doing some of the other things I enjoy? I love cycling, and I've been dreaming of another trip to Europe since last I went in May of 2004.

Now, I'm in Germany with my partner, Carlos, a brand new tandem bicycle, three changes of clothes, an iPad, an iPhone, a couple of cameras, GoToMeeting and Citrix Receiver. The journey will be 6 weeks total: 3 weeks on the bike and workshifting, 1 week working at the Citrix Synergy event in Berlin, Germany, and 1 1/2 weeks of pure vacation in Spain. (Yep, going for a complete "unplugged" experience in Spain - though I do have peace of mind knowing I can easily check in if needed!)

The adventure has begun and I am already meeting and connecting with people from all over the world - which is a large part of what this trip is about for me. In fact I've already worked with one of my Danish colleagues at his home in Slangerup. I had breakfast with him and his family one morning, raced with him in a bicycle criterium that afternoon, and later we worked together from his kitchen table - what a great way to spend the day and evening.

I'm excited to see how this experience takes shape and looking forward to learning new tricks for being totally mobile, both while traveling and working. I hope you'll follow along as I learn and share - and I hope you'll share any advice you have for me as well!

There are a lot of ways you can check in with me from my web site, Kelley Checks In, to all my social sites including Twitter and Facebook.