Growing up I always thought it would be glamorous to travel for business. I thought it would be awesome to have a job that would require travel around the world, so I could see new places all on the company's dime. I thought it would be glamorous to have my company pay for posh hotels and extravagant meals.
I am sitting in my posh hotel room in Kansas City re-thinking the glamour of business travel. The reality has set in and it just isn't what I always imagined. I have actually made several small trips for work over the last year to exoctic locations such as Midway, Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah and Ogden, Utah. This is my very first official business trip out of the state.
Reality check time. It all began weeks ago with serious planning to put together a more than amazing meeting (I have a reputation to maintain). Then, last week is something I am trying to black out. It was full of finalizing plans and creating materials and handouts. I barely finished everything before the weekend just to come in Monday morning to find that my boss has decided to include additional handouts that I had to create. Let's just say I almost quit. Then, I was off to drive to the airport in the first snowstorm of the season (perfect timing). The reality set in that I was traveling alone. I've never traveled alone before and it is lonely. There was no one to talk to. Then, I had to sit by a stranger on the plane that took up more than his fair share of the cramped space. Then, once again the reality set in that I was on my own to navigate myself through an unfamiliar airport. Once I finally got to the hotel, I realize that even though there are dozens of delicious restaurants in the area and my work is paying for it, I still have no one to go to dinner with. So I opt of out dinner and snack on the gift basket I recieved.
The reality set in that even though I have been extremely impressed with the hotel staff who have bent over backwards to be helpful, I realized it wasn't that they were being nice to me it was that I was paying them nearly $8,000 for this meeting I planned (Technically, I'm not paying for it but my project is and I manage the budget so I feel like I'm paying for it). So no wonder I am the guest of honor. I got a beautiful view of the famous plaza and a gift basket but I'm pretty sure I've paid for it somehow.
I know that most people wouldn't mind have a few nights to themselves but I would rather be home with my Neil. Business travel just isn't what I was expecting.
4 comments:
it would be hard to be alone. you'll be back in little logan in no time :)
I agree. Traveling alone sucks... the couple times I've done it, I end up ordering room service or getting the food to go since I don't want to sit in the restaurant by myself. But make sure you check out the sites anyway. People expect the lone tourists wandering around and don't think anything about it. Easier said than done, I know, but you don't want to see the inside of the hotel the entire time. :)
You should have put Neil in your suitcase!
My first few business trip were like that. I didn't eat on one because the hotel dinning rooms were so nice I didn't want to go by myself. I learned later to enjoy it. I do often travel with co-workers (I just returned from Heath Ohio where we spent a wonderful day shopping at the biggest out door mall I have ever seen in Columbus Ohio) and that makes it funner. I have had so many scary times being lost in big cities,I really should buy a GPS unit to take with me. I normally call Eli and he gets on Google maps for me and helps me out.
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