Can I learn to like traveling for work?
August 6, 2013 8:38 AM Subscribe
Help me decide if flying out-and-back every week for work will desensitize me to the million little things I dislike about traveling.
I am a requirements analyst at an IT company. Although I really like my current job and the company in general, I've been in the position for 6 years, and pretty much the only next step there is for me to start managing a team of other analysts. I don't really want to do that, so I'm interested in other opportunities. My company is large enough to have an internal consulting department, and I now have the chance to apply for a 3-month program in this department that will train me to be an implementation consultant. I've been told by a number of people that I'd be good in this particular role, and said role is in high demand, especially in our locations outside the U.S. I'd likely have the opportunity to relocate to a foreign country on the company dime within the next 10 years or so, which is something that my soon-to-be-husband and I would both love.
My big hesitation is that after the training program is over, I'd have to start traveling 80% or more. I imagine my first assignment would be with only one client, but I'd still have to go on site an average of 4 out of 5 weeks, typically on a Monday morning - Thursday night schedule. In my current role, I travel maybe 1-3 times a year, and I don't particularly enjoy it. I do like seeing new places and working with clients in their own environments, but I hate all the little stresses and anxieties of actually getting there --- airport parking, flight delays, packing, car rentals, driving in an unfamiliar place, realizing you forgot your cell phone charger, trying to finish a slide deck on your laptop when the guy in front of you just reclined his seat, etc. etc. However, I know that tons of people do this schedule 50 out of 52 weeks and they can't all be natural-born travelers, so I'm wondering if I'd become desensitized to those things if I did it all the time.
Have you been in this situation, where you originally didn't like the process of traveling, but through experience came not to mind it so much? Or will I be begging for my old boss to take me back after the first month? If you did learn to like it, how did you do it?
I am a requirements analyst at an IT company. Although I really like my current job and the company in general, I've been in the position for 6 years, and pretty much the only next step there is for me to start managing a team of other analysts. I don't really want to do that, so I'm interested in other opportunities. My company is large enough to have an internal consulting department, and I now have the chance to apply for a 3-month program in this department that will train me to be an implementation consultant. I've been told by a number of people that I'd be good in this particular role, and said role is in high demand, especially in our locations outside the U.S. I'd likely have the opportunity to relocate to a foreign country on the company dime within the next 10 years or so, which is something that my soon-to-be-husband and I would both love.
My big hesitation is that after the training program is over, I'd have to start traveling 80% or more. I imagine my first assignment would be with only one client, but I'd still have to go on site an average of 4 out of 5 weeks, typically on a Monday morning - Thursday night schedule. In my current role, I travel maybe 1-3 times a year, and I don't particularly enjoy it. I do like seeing new places and working with clients in their own environments, but I hate all the little stresses and anxieties of actually getting there --- airport parking, flight delays, packing, car rentals, driving in an unfamiliar place, realizing you forgot your cell phone charger, trying to finish a slide deck on your laptop when the guy in front of you just reclined his seat, etc. etc. However, I know that tons of people do this schedule 50 out of 52 weeks and they can't all be natural-born travelers, so I'm wondering if I'd become desensitized to those things if I did it all the time.
Have you been in this situation, where you originally didn't like the process of traveling, but through experience came not to mind it so much? Or will I be begging for my old boss to take me back after the first month? If you did learn to like it, how did you do it?
I haven't, but I know someone who flies with similar frequency. He says it isn't so terrible as he's gotten to know his fellow "commuters" over time and also he has racked up so many air miles that he gets lots and lots of perks now. It's also not the same hassle for him that it is for us because he has the parking/packing/car rental etc. thing nailed down now as a routine.
posted by bearwife at 8:47 AM on August 6, 2013
posted by bearwife at 8:47 AM on August 6, 2013
Best answer: I had done this for years and no I never stopped hating travel. Now that I am older I regret ever having accepted the positions that forced me to travel. You can enjoy it though I know some people that have done this type of work and travel for 20 years.
posted by mrgroweler at 8:48 AM on August 6, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by mrgroweler at 8:48 AM on August 6, 2013 [2 favorites]
I hate a lot of the same things you do, and to a very large extent, yes, regular travel will desensitize you to them - and/or you'll develop different habits to minimize those annoyances. For example, I can now pack for 4-5 days in about 8 minutes flat and without actually activating conscious thought; I keep my travel bag permanently semi-packed with cell phone charger and basic toiletries; I have muscle memory for heading straight to car rental in some of the biggest airports in the world.
It's still brutal and awful and hard if you aren't naturally inclined to it, so you might still hate it. But, yes, doing it all the time really will get a lot easier.
posted by Tomorrowful at 8:48 AM on August 6, 2013 [2 favorites]
It's still brutal and awful and hard if you aren't naturally inclined to it, so you might still hate it. But, yes, doing it all the time really will get a lot easier.
posted by Tomorrowful at 8:48 AM on August 6, 2013 [2 favorites]
I think the most important thing is remembering how to live and eat healthily. The worst part about being on the road regularly is the food. It's either low-quality or high-calorie, or both. So being mindful of what you're eating and doing some calorie-counting is going to help you over the medium to long term.
Productive use of free time is also important. It's really easy to collapse in your hotel room and watch tv, or work. So scheduling time for the gym or a walk is important.
Loneliness also affected me quite a bit when I was on the road. I don't know what the solution for that is.
posted by KokuRyu at 8:55 AM on August 6, 2013 [2 favorites]
Productive use of free time is also important. It's really easy to collapse in your hotel room and watch tv, or work. So scheduling time for the gym or a walk is important.
Loneliness also affected me quite a bit when I was on the road. I don't know what the solution for that is.
posted by KokuRyu at 8:55 AM on August 6, 2013 [2 favorites]
When you fly a lot for business, it's different.
You figure out rather quickly the easiest way to work the airport. I flew out of Hartsfield, so that was HUGE for me.
As a frequent flyer, you'll be upgraded to a better class of seat, busines, first, economy comfort, whatever. If nothing else, you get priority boarding.
You learn which flights and flight times are best for comfort and schedule. (I stopped waking up at 4AM to catch flights and just took the Noon.)
You get to do a lot of reading. I liked that.
If you stay in Westin Hotels, they have a thing where they let you use gym shoes and outfits so you don't have to pack them.
I have getting through security down to a science.
Some days it's rough, but I found that traveling is rather pleasant when you're not doing it on the cheap. I also didn't hate the free trips that came along with it either.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 8:59 AM on August 6, 2013
You figure out rather quickly the easiest way to work the airport. I flew out of Hartsfield, so that was HUGE for me.
As a frequent flyer, you'll be upgraded to a better class of seat, busines, first, economy comfort, whatever. If nothing else, you get priority boarding.
You learn which flights and flight times are best for comfort and schedule. (I stopped waking up at 4AM to catch flights and just took the Noon.)
You get to do a lot of reading. I liked that.
If you stay in Westin Hotels, they have a thing where they let you use gym shoes and outfits so you don't have to pack them.
I have getting through security down to a science.
Some days it's rough, but I found that traveling is rather pleasant when you're not doing it on the cheap. I also didn't hate the free trips that came along with it either.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 8:59 AM on August 6, 2013
Agreed. When you travel for work you become something of a travel ninja.
Sign up for loyalty programs. This is one of the few times when being a brand loyalist actually matters. There was a period of time when I flew first or business class every place I went. I am still using miles to travel for free from that time if my life. I am also having a hard time re-adjusting to life after status now that I don't travel as much. Harsh.
I rent only from National Car and don't have to deal with getting stuck in a car I loathe. I pick the car I want to drive.
Free hotel nights rack up surprisingly easily.
Agree with the comment above regarding having a "go bag" that stays packed. Have two of everything. You adjust.
posted by FlamingBore at 9:05 AM on August 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
Sign up for loyalty programs. This is one of the few times when being a brand loyalist actually matters. There was a period of time when I flew first or business class every place I went. I am still using miles to travel for free from that time if my life. I am also having a hard time re-adjusting to life after status now that I don't travel as much. Harsh.
I rent only from National Car and don't have to deal with getting stuck in a car I loathe. I pick the car I want to drive.
Free hotel nights rack up surprisingly easily.
Agree with the comment above regarding having a "go bag" that stays packed. Have two of everything. You adjust.
posted by FlamingBore at 9:05 AM on August 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
I don't know about desensitized, but you get more experience and figure out little hacks and what things you truly need to bring and what you don't need to bring. You'll also get some nice perks as you rack up frequent flier miles that can make things a little more bearable.
I think the first thing you need to do is figure out what they'll take care of. For example, will they handle the flight arrangements so you don't need to worry about that? Will they pay for good parking so you're not at that lot out in the boonies that makes you worry about missing the flight because the shuttle takes forever? Will they pay for business class so you can get work done rather than being wedged in coach? Etc.
Some of it will go away with experience. I used to travel enough that I just need to know how long I'll be gone and what occasions I'll be going to so I can just dump the right clothes in. I learned what luxuries were worth bringing and what wasn't worth its weight. I downgraded from an enormous laptop and laptop bag to an iPad so I didn't have to carry as much crap. I got frequent flier/traveler cards from all the airlines/rental agencies I frequented. So, for example, while tourist Bob is sighing in the 3 hour security line, I was wandering through the Frequent Flier Gold security and flying right through. While he was waiting in boarding group 5 to knife fight in the aisles for the overhead bin, I was in my seat and chilling because I was in boarding group 1 or 2. While he was waiting in the line at the rental car agency for whatever they had left, I was walking right up to my car and driving off because my stuff was already on file.
And some of it is just going to be an attitude adjustment. Like when I go to a different city on the company dime, I'm not sitting in the hotel room eating room service and pining. I'm off exploring and doing fun things on the company dime. Like I figured out at one place they didn't care how I spent my $60 per diem, so I'd buy a box of Cheerios for breakfast and sandwich fixin's for lunch, then drop $50 on a nice dinner at a good restaurant. I joined a nationwide gym with gyms in all the cities I frequented, so I could stay in my routine. When I go to a new town, I see what shows/concerts/events are going on so I'm not in "sad business traveler sitting in the hotel bar" mode, you know?
It's what you make of it, honestly.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 9:05 AM on August 6, 2013 [3 favorites]
I think the first thing you need to do is figure out what they'll take care of. For example, will they handle the flight arrangements so you don't need to worry about that? Will they pay for good parking so you're not at that lot out in the boonies that makes you worry about missing the flight because the shuttle takes forever? Will they pay for business class so you can get work done rather than being wedged in coach? Etc.
Some of it will go away with experience. I used to travel enough that I just need to know how long I'll be gone and what occasions I'll be going to so I can just dump the right clothes in. I learned what luxuries were worth bringing and what wasn't worth its weight. I downgraded from an enormous laptop and laptop bag to an iPad so I didn't have to carry as much crap. I got frequent flier/traveler cards from all the airlines/rental agencies I frequented. So, for example, while tourist Bob is sighing in the 3 hour security line, I was wandering through the Frequent Flier Gold security and flying right through. While he was waiting in boarding group 5 to knife fight in the aisles for the overhead bin, I was in my seat and chilling because I was in boarding group 1 or 2. While he was waiting in the line at the rental car agency for whatever they had left, I was walking right up to my car and driving off because my stuff was already on file.
And some of it is just going to be an attitude adjustment. Like when I go to a different city on the company dime, I'm not sitting in the hotel room eating room service and pining. I'm off exploring and doing fun things on the company dime. Like I figured out at one place they didn't care how I spent my $60 per diem, so I'd buy a box of Cheerios for breakfast and sandwich fixin's for lunch, then drop $50 on a nice dinner at a good restaurant. I joined a nationwide gym with gyms in all the cities I frequented, so I could stay in my routine. When I go to a new town, I see what shows/concerts/events are going on so I'm not in "sad business traveler sitting in the hotel bar" mode, you know?
It's what you make of it, honestly.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 9:05 AM on August 6, 2013 [3 favorites]
As others say, once you're traveling regularly you develop routines to minimize the annoyances, such as keeping a travel bag packed with items you take with you all the time. One of my siblings who was traveling 80% or more of the time for a while, and to more than one location during the week, had a bag for each location, with separate toiletry kits and chargers and such in each bag.
It helps to be very organized and have routines. I used to have a checklist of items to pack / things to do before leaving the house. While traveling or during down time at the client site I would make a list of things that needed to be done while I was back home. I was very mindful of what I ate and used the hotel gym religiously. In addition, I packed things like bath salts and facial packs so I could pamper myself in my hotel room.
posted by needled at 9:09 AM on August 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
It helps to be very organized and have routines. I used to have a checklist of items to pack / things to do before leaving the house. While traveling or during down time at the client site I would make a list of things that needed to be done while I was back home. I was very mindful of what I ate and used the hotel gym religiously. In addition, I packed things like bath salts and facial packs so I could pamper myself in my hotel room.
posted by needled at 9:09 AM on August 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
I commuted San Francisco to New York Sunday red eye Thursday return for 8 weeks or so. It is very doable.
I agree with Ruthless Bunny's list and add that since I was staying in the same hotel in downtown NY, I did not even have to bring my clothes back and forth. They laundered or dry cleaned everything and had it hanging in my closet in whatever was my next room. They did it at no cost but rather a service. I was able to get on the plane in an upgraded seat with just my brief case or backpack.
Also, as a frequent flyer, I was able to get priority in a lot of lines including the security lines. I had a family so I returned home every weekend but going elsewhere in the company dime as long as the cost was relatively the same was certainly an option.
I think the hardest thing to do when traveling that much is to eat healthy. It is too convenient to grab something quick or go out for a calorie rich meal. I worked with room service to make me steamed vegetables and brown rice or some fish.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:10 AM on August 6, 2013 [3 favorites]
I agree with Ruthless Bunny's list and add that since I was staying in the same hotel in downtown NY, I did not even have to bring my clothes back and forth. They laundered or dry cleaned everything and had it hanging in my closet in whatever was my next room. They did it at no cost but rather a service. I was able to get on the plane in an upgraded seat with just my brief case or backpack.
Also, as a frequent flyer, I was able to get priority in a lot of lines including the security lines. I had a family so I returned home every weekend but going elsewhere in the company dime as long as the cost was relatively the same was certainly an option.
I think the hardest thing to do when traveling that much is to eat healthy. It is too convenient to grab something quick or go out for a calorie rich meal. I worked with room service to make me steamed vegetables and brown rice or some fish.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:10 AM on August 6, 2013 [3 favorites]
I hate all the little stresses and anxieties of actually getting there --- airport parking, flight delays, packing, car rentals, driving in an unfamiliar place, realizing you forgot your cell phone charger, trying to finish a slide deck on your laptop when the guy in front of you just reclined his seat, etc.
....I'm wondering if I'd become desensitized to those things if I did it all the time.
- airport parking - will become 100% normal
- flight delays - will become more normal
- packing - you'll get better, though if you always stress out the night before, it'll be hard to shake on Sunday nights
- car rentals, driving in an unfamiliar place - more normal especially as you get to know your target location. also, turn by turn cell phone directions change the game on this so much.
- realizing you forgot your cell phone charger - you will buy a second, and a third, and keep one in every bag, and then you won't care. right? right.
- trying to finish a slide deck on your laptop when the guy in front of you just reclined his seat - this will always suck, but after half a year of weekly travel you'll be getting bumped up to business class more regularly (as long as you aren't always flying a different airline)
Reading a little between the lines, it sounds like your travel now always feels rushed. For me, the key thing with making weekly travel non-stressful is to not feel like you're cutting everything close to the wire on timing. (Also not traveling with colleagues, but that's a separate issue and maybe not relevant to you.) Travel snafus happen, and the more you live with them - like that summer where I flew back and forth from Atlanta to Boston every week, and every week my flight back was delayed 2-7 hours due to thunderstorms - the easier it is to adopt an attitude of just shrugging them off as a minor but expected annoyance.
posted by deludingmyself at 9:12 AM on August 6, 2013
....I'm wondering if I'd become desensitized to those things if I did it all the time.
- airport parking - will become 100% normal
- flight delays - will become more normal
- packing - you'll get better, though if you always stress out the night before, it'll be hard to shake on Sunday nights
- car rentals, driving in an unfamiliar place - more normal especially as you get to know your target location. also, turn by turn cell phone directions change the game on this so much.
- realizing you forgot your cell phone charger - you will buy a second, and a third, and keep one in every bag, and then you won't care. right? right.
- trying to finish a slide deck on your laptop when the guy in front of you just reclined his seat - this will always suck, but after half a year of weekly travel you'll be getting bumped up to business class more regularly (as long as you aren't always flying a different airline)
Reading a little between the lines, it sounds like your travel now always feels rushed. For me, the key thing with making weekly travel non-stressful is to not feel like you're cutting everything close to the wire on timing. (Also not traveling with colleagues, but that's a separate issue and maybe not relevant to you.) Travel snafus happen, and the more you live with them - like that summer where I flew back and forth from Atlanta to Boston every week, and every week my flight back was delayed 2-7 hours due to thunderstorms - the easier it is to adopt an attitude of just shrugging them off as a minor but expected annoyance.
posted by deludingmyself at 9:12 AM on August 6, 2013
It all starts Sunday evening. You need to be home at a decent hour that evening so you can pack. You can do it fast, you'll get blazingly fast at it, you can even find yourself watching TV or holding a conversation while you do it. But you do need to get to bed early too.
The alarm will go off at an ungodly hour the next morning, hours before sunrise, and you'll either drive to the airport or better yet hop in a cab, one that you've pre-scheduled so you don't have to hassle with the driving and parking. This gets you an extra 20 minutes of sleep in the back seat, or however long your ride to the airport is.
You checked in online the night before and hopefully your airport accepts the mobile boarding pass, in any case you never pack anything more than the standard roll-aboard, so you always go straight to security. Once you have status with the airline, you will get priority lane access for security, and this is HUGE.
You will get the TSA process down in a hurry as well. Pick the line with no kids in it if you can (netflix Up in the Air if you haven't seen it yet, it puts a slightly more race-driven approach on this). Once your laptop is back in the bag and your shoes are on, you need only enough time to get to your gate unless your morning routine involves a coffee or danish or something on the way there.
You will quickly learn the fastest route. After a few weeks you'll know down to a 5 minute window when you need to be leaving the house to arrive 10 minutes before boarding starts at the gate. Again, once you get priority status with the airline, early boarding, and again - HUGE. You board ahead of people with children, while they are still bitching at the agent about it, you're putting your suitcase in the empty bin and stretching out in your seat, which if you're on certain airlines even has extra leg room.
Once you start racking up the miles, you also get the upgrade opportunities, but the smart traveller always saves these for the Thursday night returns. Trust me on this, don't waste your business class seat on the Monday morning flight.
You land, you exit the airport, you get to your rental car place, and you know the process to get out of there as quick as possible - again, get status, when you do this gets much faster and you get car upgrades regularly.
You follow GPS (the first few times, from then on you know the route) to your client site and Monday is always a long day. You try to beat the rest of the team to the hotel so that you get the best room option. You get very, very friendly with the hotel staff because its the same people every week and the better you treat them, vice versa. Again, get status. Racking up the room nights gets you free hotels on your vacations. Finding a hotel you like that is within the company's budget can be a huge hassle, but is an important thing to spend your time on. Don't settle for shitty digs.
Thursday rolls around fast, its a blur of meetings and hopefully half-healthy food and late nights on Skype with your SO and all of a sudden you are rushing to check in online as you get out the door late to get to the airport. Same as Monday morning in reverse. Upgrade if you've got it. If your route involves weather, save the upgrades for the days you're most likely to get delayed - nothing like sitting on the waiting pad while you're getting the gratis drinks.
Have a routine for when you walk in the door the stroke before midnight on Thursday night. Friday morning will be there all too soon, but you need something that relaxes you and says "I'm home." This sounds dumb but is important. For me it was a Stouffer's macaroni and cheese - something as simple as popping something in a microwave.
Lots of people do this, from those who bitch about how terrible it is to those who thrive on it. I think the only way for you to figure out for yourself is to try it. Worst case you beg it off a few months down the road because some family complication came up and you can't travel that much any more.
80% is a lot, btw. Trust me.
posted by allkindsoftime at 9:15 AM on August 6, 2013 [11 favorites]
The alarm will go off at an ungodly hour the next morning, hours before sunrise, and you'll either drive to the airport or better yet hop in a cab, one that you've pre-scheduled so you don't have to hassle with the driving and parking. This gets you an extra 20 minutes of sleep in the back seat, or however long your ride to the airport is.
You checked in online the night before and hopefully your airport accepts the mobile boarding pass, in any case you never pack anything more than the standard roll-aboard, so you always go straight to security. Once you have status with the airline, you will get priority lane access for security, and this is HUGE.
You will get the TSA process down in a hurry as well. Pick the line with no kids in it if you can (netflix Up in the Air if you haven't seen it yet, it puts a slightly more race-driven approach on this). Once your laptop is back in the bag and your shoes are on, you need only enough time to get to your gate unless your morning routine involves a coffee or danish or something on the way there.
You will quickly learn the fastest route. After a few weeks you'll know down to a 5 minute window when you need to be leaving the house to arrive 10 minutes before boarding starts at the gate. Again, once you get priority status with the airline, early boarding, and again - HUGE. You board ahead of people with children, while they are still bitching at the agent about it, you're putting your suitcase in the empty bin and stretching out in your seat, which if you're on certain airlines even has extra leg room.
Once you start racking up the miles, you also get the upgrade opportunities, but the smart traveller always saves these for the Thursday night returns. Trust me on this, don't waste your business class seat on the Monday morning flight.
You land, you exit the airport, you get to your rental car place, and you know the process to get out of there as quick as possible - again, get status, when you do this gets much faster and you get car upgrades regularly.
You follow GPS (the first few times, from then on you know the route) to your client site and Monday is always a long day. You try to beat the rest of the team to the hotel so that you get the best room option. You get very, very friendly with the hotel staff because its the same people every week and the better you treat them, vice versa. Again, get status. Racking up the room nights gets you free hotels on your vacations. Finding a hotel you like that is within the company's budget can be a huge hassle, but is an important thing to spend your time on. Don't settle for shitty digs.
Thursday rolls around fast, its a blur of meetings and hopefully half-healthy food and late nights on Skype with your SO and all of a sudden you are rushing to check in online as you get out the door late to get to the airport. Same as Monday morning in reverse. Upgrade if you've got it. If your route involves weather, save the upgrades for the days you're most likely to get delayed - nothing like sitting on the waiting pad while you're getting the gratis drinks.
Have a routine for when you walk in the door the stroke before midnight on Thursday night. Friday morning will be there all too soon, but you need something that relaxes you and says "I'm home." This sounds dumb but is important. For me it was a Stouffer's macaroni and cheese - something as simple as popping something in a microwave.
Lots of people do this, from those who bitch about how terrible it is to those who thrive on it. I think the only way for you to figure out for yourself is to try it. Worst case you beg it off a few months down the road because some family complication came up and you can't travel that much any more.
80% is a lot, btw. Trust me.
posted by allkindsoftime at 9:15 AM on August 6, 2013 [11 favorites]
Anecdata: I'm basically you. I had a one-place office job for years, then switched and now I travel coast-to-coast about once a month, plus personal trips. Travel used to be something I would dread; now it's becoming fun, quite frankly.
For me, making myself physically comfortable has helped a lot. Other folks already said a lot of it, but here's what I've done:
- Pick an airline and stick with them. Get status. Call and ask to do a status challenge if you don't already have status. I fly United and those 5 extra inches of legroom in Economy Plus save me.
- Get their credit card, or airport club membership. Or, get something like Priority Pass that lets you into the airport lounges. Flight delays no longer suck for me; I get snacks, beer, power, and internet, in a quiet place.
- Pick a hotel line and stick with them. Get status. Room upgrades are awesome.
- No electronics during takeoff and landing? Books instead. I've rediscovered reading after a ten-year hiatus. Now I look forward to flights so that I have time to read.
- Assuming you have a smartphone, get the GPS directions or public transit app of your choice. You hop off the plane, pull up your phone, and it tells you where to go. Personally I have a Windows Phone; the Nokia Drive and Nokia Transit apps kick all kinds of ass.
- Get one of those stupid-looking horseshoe travel pillows if you take redeyes.
And don't worry about forgetting things. You will. It's okay. Either your hotel will be able to spot you, or there'll be a store close by.
One last general advice: Pack light. Not checking bags and traveling alone gives you a huge amount of flexibility to catch an earlier flight, switch airlines, and so forth if delays occur. Personally I go coast-to-coast for a week with only a school-style backpack, and that includes the laptop and accessories. Look into travel clothing (pants that become shorts; long-sleeve shirts that roll up to become short-sleeve; quick-dry boxers and socks). Don't pack shampoo, soap, toothpaste, towels, or anything else that the hotel will have for you. The only thing I pack that I rarely use is a deck of cards. I'm disappointed in myself if I return from a trip and haven't used something in my bag.
If I can go from a travel-hater to a travel-lover, then so can you!
posted by Dilligas at 9:42 AM on August 6, 2013 [2 favorites]
For me, making myself physically comfortable has helped a lot. Other folks already said a lot of it, but here's what I've done:
- Pick an airline and stick with them. Get status. Call and ask to do a status challenge if you don't already have status. I fly United and those 5 extra inches of legroom in Economy Plus save me.
- Get their credit card, or airport club membership. Or, get something like Priority Pass that lets you into the airport lounges. Flight delays no longer suck for me; I get snacks, beer, power, and internet, in a quiet place.
- Pick a hotel line and stick with them. Get status. Room upgrades are awesome.
- No electronics during takeoff and landing? Books instead. I've rediscovered reading after a ten-year hiatus. Now I look forward to flights so that I have time to read.
- Assuming you have a smartphone, get the GPS directions or public transit app of your choice. You hop off the plane, pull up your phone, and it tells you where to go. Personally I have a Windows Phone; the Nokia Drive and Nokia Transit apps kick all kinds of ass.
- Get one of those stupid-looking horseshoe travel pillows if you take redeyes.
And don't worry about forgetting things. You will. It's okay. Either your hotel will be able to spot you, or there'll be a store close by.
One last general advice: Pack light. Not checking bags and traveling alone gives you a huge amount of flexibility to catch an earlier flight, switch airlines, and so forth if delays occur. Personally I go coast-to-coast for a week with only a school-style backpack, and that includes the laptop and accessories. Look into travel clothing (pants that become shorts; long-sleeve shirts that roll up to become short-sleeve; quick-dry boxers and socks). Don't pack shampoo, soap, toothpaste, towels, or anything else that the hotel will have for you. The only thing I pack that I rarely use is a deck of cards. I'm disappointed in myself if I return from a trip and haven't used something in my bag.
If I can go from a travel-hater to a travel-lover, then so can you!
posted by Dilligas at 9:42 AM on August 6, 2013 [2 favorites]
I did this for a while, and developed a misanthropy that persists to this day. When I realized I was turning into That Guy, the one who's seething inside because the person in the next seat has claimed an extra half-inch of armrest, I had to renegotiate the job into a telecommute-only deal.
The travel was not actually the worst part; the feeling-like-an-occasional-visitor-to-my-own-home thing was what really got to me. You mention a "soon-to-be-husband" -- are you going to be okay with seeing him on weekends only?
posted by ook at 9:50 AM on August 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
The travel was not actually the worst part; the feeling-like-an-occasional-visitor-to-my-own-home thing was what really got to me. You mention a "soon-to-be-husband" -- are you going to be okay with seeing him on weekends only?
posted by ook at 9:50 AM on August 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
With respect to lost chargers, you are not alone. Every EVERY hotel I have ever stayed in including a Motel 6 had a charger behind the desk that someone left behind that I could use during my stay. Most of the time they give you a big box with dozens of chargers and tell you to knock yourself out. I have even gone to a local hotel while in my hometown at the office because I had no charger and have gotten one to use for the day.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:51 AM on August 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:51 AM on August 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I spent nearly 10 years travelling every single week for work. Let me tell you something I learned in that decade: The things you dislike never get better.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 9:56 AM on August 6, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 9:56 AM on August 6, 2013 [4 favorites]
Many people have said what I would say, but I want to reiterate the brand loyalty stuff. Pick an airline and stick with it, because once you get frequent flyer status a lot of the annoying things become a lot less annoying. Also, nthing keeping a bag packed, or at least semi-packed - I don't travel anywhere near as much for work as I used to, but I still have a separate Ziploc baggie with all of my 3 oz toiletry items that I just permanently keep in my rollaboard suitcase. I also have a separate charger for both laptop and cell phone that permanently lives in my travel tote. These little things make frequent travel a lot easier.
posted by bedhead at 10:18 AM on August 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by bedhead at 10:18 AM on August 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
I've traveled more than 52,000 miles in 2013, all in North America, so a lot of short-haul stuff. Some things you will learn to deal with better, other things will maybe become more annoying. I don't think I really got desensitized to anything.
I don't forget my charger because it is always packed. Have an extra set of everything if you can. And even though I am hyper-organized, sometimes things will be forgotten or lost, you will just have to buy new ones, and you just have to deal with that.
In general money can make various things easier to deal with. Things you can buy to help out:
posted by grouse at 11:01 AM on August 6, 2013 [2 favorites]
I don't forget my charger because it is always packed. Have an extra set of everything if you can. And even though I am hyper-organized, sometimes things will be forgotten or lost, you will just have to buy new ones, and you just have to deal with that.
In general money can make various things easier to deal with. Things you can buy to help out:
- Membership in Nexus/Global Entry ($50/$100 for five years) so you can use TSA Pre when available
- Cabs instead of car parking probably more convenient and might even be cheaper.
- A travel briefcase that you don't have to take your laptop out of (Tom Binh Checkpoint Flyer, $220)
- Packing cubes and folders (~$20 each)
- Little mesh bags to keep all your chargers in
- Better rolling suitcases (Briggs and Riley Baseline U122CX, $449)
- TripIt Pro ($50/year)
- Extra batteries for your mobile phone (better) or an external USB battery (if necessary)
- Airport lounge membership (about $400/year, I can't justify this myself)
- Mobile WiFi hotspot (don't have one either)
- Don't check your bags. If you know you're traveling on regional jets where you'll have to valet check a bag, maybe look for a smaller bag so you won't have to do even that.
- Have a standard packing checklist that you can check every time before you go out.
- Hertz #1 Club Gold allows you to get to the airport and just walk out to your car without stopping at the damn rental car. I use that when I can.
posted by grouse at 11:01 AM on August 6, 2013 [2 favorites]
I used to travel a lot. Now I have a more complicated life, and I don't.
I did enjoy the perks of Gold status, the regular upgrades, the "travel ninja" skills people mentioned above. I could glance at the security lines and pick the right one, I could have my shoes laptop liquids belt phone sorted in the order that I'd be putting them back into my carry-on in 10 seconds flat, I knew the connecting gates at PHL and ORD and DEN and where the good food was and what my personal best was from wheels down to the car rental lot exit.
But I never got over my existensial dread at the moment of boarding the airplanes. Stepping off from solid ground (okay, rickety airbridge, but connected to the ground) into this narrow aluminum tube, with the fake-smile welcome aboard and the stale air, knowing that I was going to be trapped in my (yes, plush and comfortable) seat while the airplane clawed its way across the ocean - it grated on my nerves, and it got worse over time.
Now I've lost my travel status and if I travel I'm in the back with the proles. I see the travel ninjas laying out their stuff with military precision. And I smile, because I don't have to do this any more.
posted by RedOrGreen at 11:22 AM on August 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
I did enjoy the perks of Gold status, the regular upgrades, the "travel ninja" skills people mentioned above. I could glance at the security lines and pick the right one, I could have my shoes laptop liquids belt phone sorted in the order that I'd be putting them back into my carry-on in 10 seconds flat, I knew the connecting gates at PHL and ORD and DEN and where the good food was and what my personal best was from wheels down to the car rental lot exit.
But I never got over my existensial dread at the moment of boarding the airplanes. Stepping off from solid ground (okay, rickety airbridge, but connected to the ground) into this narrow aluminum tube, with the fake-smile welcome aboard and the stale air, knowing that I was going to be trapped in my (yes, plush and comfortable) seat while the airplane clawed its way across the ocean - it grated on my nerves, and it got worse over time.
Now I've lost my travel status and if I travel I'm in the back with the proles. I see the travel ninjas laying out their stuff with military precision. And I smile, because I don't have to do this any more.
posted by RedOrGreen at 11:22 AM on August 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: You can get good at traveling so that a lot of the pain points go away. But I would never ever ever do this to a new marriage. Hell, I'm traveling weekly but fewer days this summer on a project and I miss my husband and feel like a flaming asshole for all the shit he's stuck doing alone and how zombiefied I am when I'm home and how sad he is, and we've been married nearly 10 years. (Also - I've almost always got coworkers traveling with me as well, and I swear to god I'm going to kill someone if I'm forced to socialize after work any more. That is MY time, I am an introvert, I vant to be aloooone. Without pants on. All that angst comes home with me, too, and manifests as a really crappy attitude.)
Maybe you guys will decide as a couple that that amount of absence is OK in the service of escalating your career and that your marriage can take it. This could possibly also work out okay if he wanted to do something really time-demanding like get another degree.
I've worked in IT for a long time and these fly-in-fly-out consulting jobs seem kind of scammy (to the consultant, if not the customer), and only good for recent graduates and divorced (non-custodial) people.
At the very least, does this position give you Fridays off, or are you expected to just eat the two extra half-days of travel (plus the nights you'll be expected to work late on site, since you "don't have anything better to do")? That's where I find these jobs especially scammy, as they're designed to wring 50-60 hour weeks out of people along with making them live out of suitcases, catch every cold on the planet, and have no hobbies. Hell, even your chances of inconveniently getting pregnant are significantly lowered. They basically own your life.
posted by Lyn Never at 11:48 AM on August 6, 2013 [3 favorites]
Maybe you guys will decide as a couple that that amount of absence is OK in the service of escalating your career and that your marriage can take it. This could possibly also work out okay if he wanted to do something really time-demanding like get another degree.
I've worked in IT for a long time and these fly-in-fly-out consulting jobs seem kind of scammy (to the consultant, if not the customer), and only good for recent graduates and divorced (non-custodial) people.
At the very least, does this position give you Fridays off, or are you expected to just eat the two extra half-days of travel (plus the nights you'll be expected to work late on site, since you "don't have anything better to do")? That's where I find these jobs especially scammy, as they're designed to wring 50-60 hour weeks out of people along with making them live out of suitcases, catch every cold on the planet, and have no hobbies. Hell, even your chances of inconveniently getting pregnant are significantly lowered. They basically own your life.
posted by Lyn Never at 11:48 AM on August 6, 2013 [3 favorites]
After a few weeks you'll know down to a 5 minute window when you need to be leaving the house to arrive 10 minutes before boarding starts at the gate.
You'll also stop caring about missing flights. If I don't miss a flight every month or two I worry that I'm leaving too much slack time in my schedule.
posted by atrazine at 2:15 PM on August 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
You'll also stop caring about missing flights. If I don't miss a flight every month or two I worry that I'm leaving too much slack time in my schedule.
posted by atrazine at 2:15 PM on August 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
Yeah, to atrazine's point, a rather famous astronomer once told me, "If you don't miss flights once in a while, you're spending too much time in airports."
posted by RedOrGreen at 2:23 PM on August 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by RedOrGreen at 2:23 PM on August 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I traveled for one job weekly for 18 months. It was fun for about 3 weeks, and then it got to be a grind. Like the others here, I had two of everything so that I just unpacked dirty clothes on the weekends and could repack in 5 minutes without leaving anything behind. I had my outbound and inbound lists and routines down to a science.
I hated every minute of it and hated it more the longer I did it. If you don't like travel now, it's probably not going to get better. You will, however, learn how to make it easier and how little you really need to take with you.
posted by JaneL at 10:57 PM on August 6, 2013
I hated every minute of it and hated it more the longer I did it. If you don't like travel now, it's probably not going to get better. You will, however, learn how to make it easier and how little you really need to take with you.
posted by JaneL at 10:57 PM on August 6, 2013
Yep, two of everything and airline/hotel status. It's the only thing that makes it bearable for me. It's a huge perk outside of work travel, too.
+1 to getting Global Entry/Pre-Check. It's like Christmas.
Take vitamins. For a while I was getting sick every time I came home from a work trip. For me, taking a multivitamin regularly has helped -- maybe it's just a coincidence, but haven't been sick since. I think the Emergen-C or Airborne stuff is sort of fake and I just take a generic grocery store brand multivitamin.
I do really enjoy exploring wherever I am. I am a big food tourist, so I have enjoyed kangaroo, crocodile, jellyfish, durian, all sorts of delicious sushi, and even if I'm within the US or Europe I do a little research on local specialties to try to find a good restaurant. Living on per diem when I travel enables me to try all sorts of interesting things without breaking the bank. And even if you do have to work late, you do still have to eat, so this is still usually some "tourism" you can do without too much free time. (Especially when you have to go to dinner with clients/customers/colleagues... combine food tourism with work!)
And just figure out the routine that works for you. 90% of my flights are long-haul international flights. I like getting to the airport early-ish so I can go sit in one of the nice lounges, to either wake myself up (breakfast + shitloads of tea) or start drinking wine. I also like boarding early. I know some people are very anti-boarding-early, but when I'm messing around with the logistics of making sure bills are paid and apartment is in good order to be left alone for two weeks and getting to the airport and checking in and making sure I'm not late and and and... it's a relief to just finally sit down in my seat and know that it's all out of my hands now. YMMV, but I certainly don't subscribe to the "If you don't miss flights once in a while..." philosophy. (In fairness since most of my flights are international and involve connections, I think I'm just more sensitive about flight-missing than your average domestic road warrior)
One of the downsides is that you will get very used to traveling for convenience. You will be able to select the flight that is most convenient, not the cheapest flight; you'll take the expensive but quicker cab rather than wait for the cheap half-hourly airport shuttle to your hotel; you'll stay at the conveniently located big hotel chains that have all the amenities rather than a little B&B or boutique hotel. You'll get used to it. And then it's an adjustment when you're traveling on your own dime again.
posted by olinerd at 12:14 AM on August 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
+1 to getting Global Entry/Pre-Check. It's like Christmas.
Take vitamins. For a while I was getting sick every time I came home from a work trip. For me, taking a multivitamin regularly has helped -- maybe it's just a coincidence, but haven't been sick since. I think the Emergen-C or Airborne stuff is sort of fake and I just take a generic grocery store brand multivitamin.
I do really enjoy exploring wherever I am. I am a big food tourist, so I have enjoyed kangaroo, crocodile, jellyfish, durian, all sorts of delicious sushi, and even if I'm within the US or Europe I do a little research on local specialties to try to find a good restaurant. Living on per diem when I travel enables me to try all sorts of interesting things without breaking the bank. And even if you do have to work late, you do still have to eat, so this is still usually some "tourism" you can do without too much free time. (Especially when you have to go to dinner with clients/customers/colleagues... combine food tourism with work!)
And just figure out the routine that works for you. 90% of my flights are long-haul international flights. I like getting to the airport early-ish so I can go sit in one of the nice lounges, to either wake myself up (breakfast + shitloads of tea) or start drinking wine. I also like boarding early. I know some people are very anti-boarding-early, but when I'm messing around with the logistics of making sure bills are paid and apartment is in good order to be left alone for two weeks and getting to the airport and checking in and making sure I'm not late and and and... it's a relief to just finally sit down in my seat and know that it's all out of my hands now. YMMV, but I certainly don't subscribe to the "If you don't miss flights once in a while..." philosophy. (In fairness since most of my flights are international and involve connections, I think I'm just more sensitive about flight-missing than your average domestic road warrior)
One of the downsides is that you will get very used to traveling for convenience. You will be able to select the flight that is most convenient, not the cheapest flight; you'll take the expensive but quicker cab rather than wait for the cheap half-hourly airport shuttle to your hotel; you'll stay at the conveniently located big hotel chains that have all the amenities rather than a little B&B or boutique hotel. You'll get used to it. And then it's an adjustment when you're traveling on your own dime again.
posted by olinerd at 12:14 AM on August 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
Also: I infer from your question history that you are of the female persuasion, or at least the female-boot wearing persuasion. As a woman who wears nice shoes and makeup and hair product in professional situations, let me just say that it is very very hard for me to do the True Road Warrior (TM) thing of going "four weeks with just a backpack!" or whatever other carryon-only philosophy people subscribe to. First of all, because I usually need more than one pair of shoes. Secondly, because they don't make good hair product in 100mL sizes. Don't consider it a moral failing if you have to check a bag. And the good news is the more you fly, the less you'll be paying for checked bags -- those fees are one of the first things to drop when you get status!
posted by olinerd at 12:44 AM on August 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by olinerd at 12:44 AM on August 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
And the good news is the more you fly, the less you'll be paying for checked bags -- those fees are one of the first things to drop when you get status!
Yes. Although your employer should absolutely be paying for checked bags if you need them.
posted by grouse at 9:53 AM on August 7, 2013
Yes. Although your employer should absolutely be paying for checked bags if you need them.
posted by grouse at 9:53 AM on August 7, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks all. The consensus seems to be "if you don't like it now, you'll get better at it but you still won't like it." Lyn Never's point about it being a "scammy" kind of thing hit home as well --- the culture is definitely as she described, so that comment made me realize that I'd basically be taking a pretty big pay cut in terms of hours spent for money earned. That thought makes it a lot easier to pass up this opportunity, so I have decided not to apply for the training program.
posted by slenderloris at 3:14 PM on August 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by slenderloris at 3:14 PM on August 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
The only positive part about travelling a lot is that you'll appreciate wherever you're from all the more. It was refreshing to see some of my favourite places in my home town, notably a couple of coffee shops, some bookstores and a park I like.
posted by KokuRyu at 2:28 PM on August 9, 2013
posted by KokuRyu at 2:28 PM on August 9, 2013
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posted by rada at 8:46 AM on August 6, 2013