I’m all off topic this week because of work travel starting tomorrow and the upcoming holiday break I’ll be on. Tomorrow I leave for a business trip…for Cleveland…in December. I’m thrilled. (I hope you all feel the sarcasm)
Over the 25+ years I’ve been working I’ve been on a lot of business trips. Some have been to some pretty great locations and others have been like…well…Cleveland. I remember in my younger years that we would have meetings in Las Vegas which was fantastic when I was in my mid 20s. Then as I grew older, into my 30s, and had a family…business trips changed. I looked forward more to a quiet room and going to bed early. Friends and family would always comment “you’re so lucky, you get to travel for work to (insert location)” but after awhile, it kinda sucked.
What most don’t realize, if you’ve never traveled for work at all, that it’s not so glamourous. Flights, taxis (now Uber and Lyfts), hotels, meeting rooms, business dinners where you still have to be “ON” is exhausting. And those great locations I sometimes get to travel to?? They all look the same from the inside of a windowless meeting room.
So these works trips have now fallen into a couple categories for me. 1: sucks but not terribly awful. 2: sucks and complete waste of time
What is the best or worse business trip you have ever been on? And what stage of life were you in when it occurred because that certainly makes a difference.
Have a great Monday everyone.