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Truth of business travel - one man's perspective

BalekFekete

Shared on Thu, 03/01/2007 - 16:04

I’m sure there are plenty out in our community that travel on business from time to time. My business travel is far from extensive, with about 3-5 trips per year ranging from a few days to a week at most. I’m currently down in Dallas taking in an annual conference put on my a professional association I’m a member of. You know…the kind of conference that looks good on that performance appraisal at the end of the year.

Well, got in yesterday afternoon after a routine flight down from Newark. Unremarkable shuttle ride from the airport, and a quick check-in to the hotel. Then, was time to hunt down something for dinner. Fortunately, I have a boss who I’m convinced never even opens the expense report and just approves it, so racking up a dinner bill isn’t an issue. I hit the restaurant at the top of the hotel, up on the 38th floor in downtown Dallas. The sight is incredible as I get there just around sunset. A pair of cocktails while I wait for them to start sitting for dinner, and then a meal of filet minion, sautéed mushrooms, and a nice glass of merlot. Finish the whole thing off with a chocolate masterpiece with fresh berries.

Sounds pretty sweet eh? I’d think so too, so then why can I only think of last night in light of the words of ‘ol Captain Barbossa:

“For too long I've been parched of thirst and unable to quench it. Too long I've been starving to death and haven't died. I feel nothing.”

Not even the most lavish dinner I was able to procure was able to back off the feeling that comes with every one of these trips – loneliness. With a family 1300 miles away, stuck sitting at a dinner table that I’d give anything to share with my wife, and only a book to keep me company, it’s almost overwhelming.

So, for you who travel routinely and with greater frequency than I – how do you do it? How do you shake the feeling of being dislocated from your friends and family and be able to enjoy the sights, sounds, and tastes of the locale you find yourself in? All I do know is that I’m looking forward to nothing more than the flight home tomorrow and getting back to what I know – screaming kids, cats that hate me, a wife breaking my stones from time to time, you know…normal life. 

B.

Comments

TANK's picture
Submitted by TANK on Thu, 03/01/2007 - 16:10
Dude, if you're that lonley, you need to take the 360 with you. Even if you can't get it online, at least you can loose yourself i some SP games. I'm sure you've got a laptop so you just need the GameBridge by adaptec and you can use your laptop as a monitor. It's easy to get your game on even on the road. Then.. there's always escorts :)
CofC's picture
Submitted by CofC on Thu, 03/01/2007 - 16:13
A buddy of mine traveled over three months out of the year, in places like Pakistan and India. Business travel is only exciting to those who don't do it.
BalekFekete's picture
Submitted by BalekFekete on Thu, 03/01/2007 - 16:14
lol @ Tank... I might have to give that consideration for the next trip out to Denmark in June. (the 360 option...not the escorts ;) )
CapnHun's picture
Submitted by CapnHun on Thu, 03/01/2007 - 16:44
Belek, I know what you mean. When my dad died, I had to go down to Houston to get him buried at the family gravesite. Because I arrived late, I stayed at the hotel airport instead of trying to hook up with relatives. The room was luxurious and I slept in the biggest bed I have ever seen! I stretched out on that bed sideways and neither my toes or fingers even came near the edges. But I was felt so lonely and all I could do was wish my husband were there next to me. I had to pile up the pillows in the middle to keep from feeling so small.
SciDad23's picture
Submitted by SciDad23 on Thu, 03/01/2007 - 17:02
I know exactly what you mean. I travel frequently for work, 20-30 trips a year, mostly 3 days at a time, but a 2 week humdinger in the fall every year to Germany and France. My wife would KILL to go to Europe, and to me, it's just a pain in the neck. 8 hour flight, eating out for every meal for 2 weeks, nothing on TV in English other than BBC World news, and a 6 hour time difference that makes phone calls tricky to schedule. Buy at Nintendo DS, get an iPod Video and rip a crapload of movies to it, or buy a nice portable DVD player with extra batteries and "movie" the time away, that's what I do.
VladHatter's picture
Submitted by VladHatter on Thu, 03/08/2007 - 16:38
I feel your pain, and I've been there. A fat expense account that I've been encouraged to abuse, nice hotels, and first class plane tickets never compare to the company my family and the feel of my own bed. I would rather wake up at 4 a.m., take a 6 a.m. flight out, and get back to my airport at 11 p.m. than spend one night away from home.

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