Since the mid-90s, I’ve been a frequent traveler. I’ve flown more than a million miles and stayed the equivalent of several years in hotel rooms. All of this can take a big toll on friendships and relationships.

I recently came up with a new approach to help me stay connected to friends and family: I committed to hosting a monthly wine and cheese gathering.

This does a number of things for me:

• I get a fun evening with friends.
• It makes it easy to meet up with a lot of people at once.
• It forces me to clean my place at least once a month.
• It forces me to unpack my suitcase at least once a month. Too often, I’ve lived out of a suitcase, even when I was actually “home.”

Having this outlet is also good for business as it helps ward off loneliness when on the road.

At once a month, it’s not a significant time commitment and the benefit is well worth it.

I also try to time it so friends and business associates who are visiting from out of town can see my friends and connect with Silicon Valley.

Because it’s in my home, I don’t post the details. But if you’re a regular reader and are visiting SF, shoot me a note and I’ll see if I can extend an invite.