Travel. I do it pretty often these days. Both for pleasure and work. My most frequent trip is the Acela, business class. 2 hours and 45 minutes South to DC's charming Union Station. I say charming when comparing to NYC's Penn Station. There is always routine in these trips. Cabs, Dramamine, starting and stopping, trying to eat healthy. Business people talking proposals, parents checking in with nannies, daycares and each other. Obnoxious office calls to admins, bosses and clients. Northeast train views, sunsets and life buzzing around. Weather changes. Cool breezes, warm days, rain, chilly temps, snow delays.
I've come to really love a few things about traveling for work, and specifically, from NYC to DC.
• Cabs - last week, I left on a cool Spring morning. I felt very "movie-esque" running in the street in the Upper East Side to catch a cab to Penn Station. I loved the cool breeze through the windows as we shot down 5th Ave along Central Park and drove straight through Times Square.
• Food - I have to eat. I love to eat. And I love that I don't have to pay while eating the food I love.
• Face time - can be fabulous when you spend 80% of your time behind a computer swamped in emails.
• Daily routines of others - are just flat out fascinating to me. Social media has trained me to pay close attention to everyone's eating, drinking and social habits. Seeing this in person is quite the treat.
• Train conversations - can be great! A few trips ago, first class was emptied when Dr. Jill Biden boarded the train with her secret service posse. Thus, we ended up next to an investment banking Californian who lives in CT and travels to Philly often. We shared political, social and nonprofit views.
• Being away from home - Makes you appreciate home and its simplicity. Having dinner with your husband, walking the dogs and the routine that you create in your own little cloud of life.
• Independence - navigating trains, planes and cabs forces you to gain independence whether you like it or not.
There are also things I hate about work travel, specifically NYC to DC.
• Cabs - I get car sick.
• Food - it's not homemade or routine or always healthy.
• Daily routines of others, throw my routine off.
• Train conversations - never, ever end.
• Being away from home, my husband, my dogs, my space.
• Independence, I don't always want it.
And then you have those moments of thought.... Because when you travel, you have a lot of time to think... and your brain begins to pump out questions faster than you thought humanly possible.
-train leaves- I should get some work done. Internet and VPN are not working. Does everyone have this many IT issues? Am I on the right career path? At the right company? The right level for my age? Do I have a healthy work/life balance? What is a healthy/work life balance? Do I spend all my time working towards my passions? What are my passions? Am I using my greatest strengths? If I'm not, and if I jump ship...will I be able to pay my bills? Will I have enough stability for a family? Or do I really love my career? Why do I always wonder if the grass is greener? Grass... Will we ever have our own yard? I hate yard work... Do I even want a yard? Do kids really need a yard? Should we be starting our family? Are we in the right city? Is this the right time? What is the right time? What time is it? Will my cab be on time? Where's my Dramamine... -train arrives-
And this, my friends, is why I sleep so soundly while staying in hotels and my first night back home. I am exhausted upon arrival.
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