A couple weeks ago, I developed new respect for the road warrior, the business traveler who regularly leaves home and family to conduct business while on the road.
I developed the respect, as one would expect, by walking (albeit briefly) in the footsteps of such a warrior. My two-night business trip, which became a three-night trip due to the blizzard and the cancellation of our train home, taught me a lot about business travel. Here are a few tidbits that I picked up.
1. Always pack extra underwear and socks. I already follow this policy, but this was the first trip I've taken in which I actually had to use my spare clothing. If you need to do sink laundry, wring the item out and then roll it up in a towel or two to remove excess moisture before hanging it above your heater for faster drying.
Tip: Don't hang the item from a sprinkler, no matter how conveniently placed the sprinkler might be. (For the record, I did not do this.)
2. Delays aren't fun. Being delayed while you're on vacation with your family is unpleasant, but it's even more difficult when the delay means that you're separated from your family for even longer. On the plus side, you can be reimbursed for all your expenses, so at least you aren't losing money.
3. Most business travelers are men. Most of the diners in the hotel restaurant and club lounge were of the male persuasion. If there had been any doubt, the selected TV channel in the restaurant--ESPN--was a dead giveaway that there are way more men on the road than women.
4. Dining in restaurants is not always great. I do like eating out, but if I had to choose between only eating out and only dining in for the rest of my life, I would choose to dine in, even if I had to cook every meal. It's much easier to eat your fruits and veggies and to control the ingredients and calories in your meals when you cook them.
Tip: Most restaurants will accommodate off-menu requests, but first, study the menu to make sure that they have all the ingredients that are needed.
5. Business travel is more stressful than personal travel, for me, anyway. Probably others have different opinions. There are perks to business travel; for instance, everything is free, allowing you to have a variety of experiences and build status with hotels and airlines at no cost to you. However, I learned that when I travel, I rely upon B's presence, conversation, insight, ideas, common-mindedness, and ability to carry lots of luggage. Travel is harder and less fun without him.
6. Pregnancy makes travel more challenging. Since I took the train, I didn't have to worry about turbulence and security machines, but I still had to manage my luggage myself. I packed lightly, but you can pack only so lightly and compactly for 3 (as it turned out, 4) days away from home. Plus it can be really hard to get the sleep that you need when much of your schedule is not in your control. Further complicating the situation was our trip to NYC, which immediately followed my work trip. I arrived home Thursday afternoon and we left the next morning, leaving only a couple hours for unpacking, laundry, and repacking. It was a difficult week.
In conclusion: Road warriors, I don't know how you do it week after week, but you have my respect.
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