Traveling for Work Is not That Glamorous
I posted this photo to Facebook yesterday, as I worked from the hotel to try and get up to speed with this new job. A friend left a sarcastic comment about the glamorous life of traveling for work. It got me thinking.
If you have never had the kind of job that requires a lot of travel it can seem pretty glamorous. I get that. There are definitely some perks. I get to see a lot of different places and meet people all over the place and that’s awesome.
But I also get to fly across the country the weekend before Christmas when airports and flights are packed. I get to try and work from the “comfort” of a hotel room or airport waiting area. I get to deal with jet lag and cross time zones constantly. (Forget what time it is, what day is it?) I get to sit in close proximity to people coughing and sneezing, or suffering from other assorted maladies. I get to interact with airport security on a consistent basis, deal with flight delays and I get to do it all while trying to stay connected to family, friends and work.
So yeah, there are some cool things I’ve gotten to do in this line of work, and I wouldn’t trade them for anything. But I also listen to people who’ve been doing it longer than I have and understand why they might be considering something else.
If you’re considering this type of work, it might pay to keep in mind that it’s not always so glamorous. For every trip to some exciting destination, there might be 3-4 to somewhere you might not enjoy that much. (Hello Minneapolis in Winter!*)
Anyway, before you take the leap, stop and consider the toll, that’s all I’m saying. What’s your worst, or best, work travel story?
* For the record, I adore Minneapolis and it’s residents, but -10F sucks no matter how nice people are!
