When I began traveling for work, there were two typical responses from those that crossed my path. The first usually pertained to how terrible and grueling traveling must be; the other consisted of “wows” and “you must get to experience so much on your trips.” Then I would occasionally get thrown a curveball with the, “Well, what does your husband think of you being gone so much?” This trifecta makes up what I now call the good, the bad, and the ugly of traveling for work. At first I wasn’t totally sure how to respond to people’s reactions, partially because I wasn’t completely sure of what I thought about my new travel lifestyle. Fast forward six months and, while I am no expert, I think I’ve got the hang of this traveling thing and I would like to share five things I have learned while traveling for work.
The Good: Traveling for work has taken me from Niagara Falls, NY to Seattle, WA in the same week. I have literally seen some of the United States’ most magnificent places, some of which I never dreamed of being able to experience. I am a total believer that life is what you make of it so when I am presented an opportunity, I jump right on it. I believe this is the key to making work travel a success. Rather than sitting in a hotel room, go ask the locals what to do; pretend to even be one, but just go “do” life outside the four office walls. One of the best parts of traveling is getting to explore some of my passions outside of my little Nebraska bubble. I have now taken yoga classes in 9 different states and eaten at some very unique (but SO delicious) restaurants. The “good stuff” is typically what people see on social media and what I will remember for years to come.
The Bad: Yes, traveling can be very tiring work, but by taking care of your health both mentally and physically, it can be managed. There are long days, early/late flights, and weird gaps where you may be stranded without a rental car with your carry on to lug around downtown Chicago. I certainly won’t say traveling for work is glamorous. Often the worst part of traveling is the random scheduling of your day. The key trick to combating tough traveling is to be prepared, so plan ahead. I make sure to have snacks if I won’t have time for a meal or I sleep on the short plane ride if it is super early. As for the Chicago instance, be prepared to have a book, Google Map the location of a Starbucks (or even better, a park, when the weather is nice) and hunker down to let your mind rest in your reading. If you don’t like reading then call up an old friend to catch up with them. Just remember, life is what you make it. You can choose to be unprepared, tired, hungry, cranky, sore, etc. but who really wants to sit next to that on a plane? Most importantly before you return to the office, recharge your own batteries, so you can efficiently complete the tasks piling up on your plate from being gone.
The Ugly: This is a hot topic of discussion among my team of four women who are all in committed relationships. What makes a woman traveling any different than a man? I have learned more about myself by traveling than I ever did in college. By interacting with other people and learning how to navigate the social graces of others, I feel as though I bring so much more to the table than I did before. It wasn’t as if one day I up and took on a new position without communicating with my fiancé about it first. Of course, it isn’t easy to be away from the people you love, but there is a difference in missing someone you love and neglecting someone for their work lifestyle. After a few trips, I have learned that once home, it is my turn to bear the brunt of the housework, that a date night is much needed time together, and most of all, that communication goes a very long way.
You are never alone: The majority of my travel is done solo. This means that there are days where I just crave a little conversation. If picking up the phone and calling someone isn’t possible, the easiest thing to do is simply smile at people when you make eye contact. There’s been many times where just looking around the airport at all the “hurry up and wait” people, I have thought these people seemed so angry at the world. A smile is a nice little change for once and you’d be amazed how it enables people to strike up a conversation with you. Some of these people have incredible stories, and everyone wants to talk about themselves. You learn to enjoy the transient relationships created, just as if you were two children on the playground.
You Adapt: Earlier I talked about being prepared for the day, but the best thing is when your schedule goes completely off chart. When your flight gets delayed/cancelled, your luggage gets lost, you get lost in the city, whatever the case may be, and you learn to think on your feet. Traveling should become more of an outline in pencil rather than in pen. There is always room to be elastic with your plans. Some of the best times can happen when your plans involve you just drifting from point A to point B. Anything can happen to throw off your plans, but one of the greatest feelings I have come to know is when you can sit down on your flight home and you are able to say “I did it.” Traveling allows you to realize how smart, resourceful, and determined you can be to get things done.
My job is one of the best things to have ever happened to me. I get to travel, but more importantly I get to tell students about their opportunity to travel as well. There is so much to the real world that is often frowned upon by a professor because a “new graduate needs the stability of being stationary”. Being a recent graduate myself, I speak contrary to that popular belief- traveling can teach you more than a classroom ever could.
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