Hello Friends,
I'm writing this from a hotel room, as I am travelling for business. Right there "travelling for business" sounds so weird, even as I type it.
This is the second trip I've taken as an employee of my current company. I am visiting a customer’s site, working face-to-face with them to enhance our collaboration. The first trip I took was a team adventure where I met my co-workers face-to-face for the first time.
I am a remote worker.
I work from home, and I have been, on-and-off, for most of my career. In fact, if I wanted to go into the office, I couldn't—the closest office is 5 hours away and it was downsized during the pandemic.
The 5 hours away is the key part. My company has recently switched to a 2-3 day in-office hybrid situation. Unfortunately (can you hear the sarcasm), it would be untenable for me to commute 10 hours a day. So, I, and much of my team who was hired during the last few years, will remain full-time remote workers. Which is perfect for me.
I enjoy working at home. I live in a beautiful place, close to coffee and lunch spots, close to the ocean, and I have a mob of cats to provide me with daily distractions.
I have a bidet (iykyk).
It's the travel part I don't relish—the logistics. Not that I don't like travelling (although, since 2022, it has been a pain—really since 9/11 it hasn't been much fun, either). When I was younger, I travelled a bunch. Not the "I travel and have been to India" type of travel. But I've seen most of this country and a few others.
Today, I find myself at 3 AM in a hotel room outside of Detroit with the specter of finishing up this collaboration a day early, which is a good thing (in theory), and me having to figure out how to get home a day early. I mean, I guess I could stay the planned extra day and work from this hotel room.
But why?
I'm an adult, and I should be able to change my flight with ease—it's what everyone says, "Just change your flight." Alas, I booked my itinerary through the work website (a whole other adventure), and I have no idea how to change any of the travel plans—I got phone numbers, apps, emails—it’s a bit overwhelming, especially since I expect all that technology to fail me.
If I was a real "business traveller," I'd have all this figured out. I'd be one of those guys, like George Clooney in Up in the Air, sauntering through the airport with the exact right-sized carry-on, speaking to someone important on Apple Airpods while perfectly balancing a Starbucks cup and a portfolio with my presentation—"I'll be in Houston at six. We'll be celebrating by eight. The steak is on my expense account."
But, I'm not.
When I walk through the airport, I look more like a dad of 7 kids on the way to a Disney resort pool, beach noodles and snacks in tow. And there are probably going to be some tears.
Really, no one should let me "travel for business." (business socks)
Wholly unprepared for that life, I leave my home 3 days before my flight, "in case there is traffic." I don't present well when I show up, over-caffeinated, at a customer's location. My "business casuals" are 12 years old and fit a totally different guy (truthfully, they didn't fit me 12 years ago, either).
That was Monday. It's now Thursday. We "collaborated" so well, we might be done after a few hours of finishing up our agenda today.
I want to be home. I just have no idea how that is going to happen.
I need to continue pretending I am an adult: take a shower, pack my bags just in case, visit the Panera across the street where I've made some new friends (Dennis is getting heart surgery to remove some shrapnel (from the war?) next week), and, once again, show up at a customer site looking like I know what I’m doing.
Fake it until you make it, right?
I've decided to wear blue jeans (nice ones, like from LL Bean). Should be ok.
Next week, this will all be over.
Happy reading, happy writing, and happy travelling (if you're in to that),
David
Maybe you should stay put David. It went from the 50s here to what feels like the 90s and it’s so humid I can’t shut my front door. Try to put that bidet out of your mind.