Finding the bright side of business travel

Posted on May 17th, 2011 by Sacha Chua

I don’t like travelling. I’d rather be home: husband, cats, garden, library, home-cooked food, regular routines, everything I need where I want it to be. But we haven’t figured out teleportation and some clients want face-to-face contact, so I go if necessary.

It’s a little hard to focus on the bright side of business travel, aside from the opportunity to meet people in person. Travel changes such a large chunk of personal time. Long days trail off into the temptation to spend evening hours catching up with work e-mail or flipping through the movies on the television. Restaurants overwhelm with choices and serve too-large portions. Laughter and meows are replaced by the white-noise hum of hotel airconditioning.

But there’s a bright side there, somewhere, new opportunities that open up during every disruption. Here’s what I might be able to do this trip:

Wake up earlier. There’s no one to disturb, and there’s more incentive to go to bed early and wake up early.
Spend more time writing and drawing. No meals to prepare, no dishes to wash, nothing else to do but work and write and draw.
Eat different kinds of food. Eat the kinds of things we would find difficult to prepare at home. Avoid the temptations. Focus on soups and salads – maybe that will help…
Listen to more music. I rarely do so at home. Here, it’s better than the constant traffic and weather updates on the lobby television that’s tuned to the news channel.

I could enjoy business travel more, I suppose, if I stayed an extra day in the cities we visit. Here loss aversion rears its behavioral-psychology head, I think; I’d find it hard to tear myself away from home a day early in order to walk around a city by myself. This is not completely true. I haven’t tried it, and I should give it at least one try. And for places I know we have friends in, I’d be happy to come a day earlier or leave a day later so that I can spend time with them. Perhaps the next trip.

It’s difficult but essential to be where you are, not mis-placed.

2011-05-15 Sun 09:26

More posts about: travel, work // 3 Comments »

Short URL: http://sachachua.com/blog/p/22240

http://makati.blogspot.com Ching

Hi Sach — good to hear that you’re stretching your comfort zone, looking at exploring the places you’re visiting for work.

I often try to stay an extra day or weekend when I travel, especially when I’m visiting a place for the first time. I visit my friends and sometimes drop by to see Mom’s friends too if I have time. Or just set out on my own.

Had lots of memorable experiences this way — seeing the Taj Mahal, whitewater rafting in Costa Rica, sightseeing in Bruges and at the Grand Canyon, being invited to a Quaker Meeting by Tita Beth.

There is so much more to these places than airport, hotel, and office :)

And definitely — try local food. Skip room service and hotel restaurants if you can!
http://charuzu.wordpress.com Charles

I have often started a business trip one day early, or come home a day later and used the time for sightseeing. Business trips that include a weekend give opportunities for more travel or socialising with the locals.

Trips where I extended a day include Singapore (giving me a day on Sentosa Island), a stopover in San Francisco on the way to Denver (I saw Alcatraz, rode the tram, lunch at Fisherman’s wharf and chatted to the locals, Chinatown and Powells bookshop).

Last year I spent a week in Bangkok running a training course and I went to Jim Thompson’s house on the Saturday morning, had a great tour and bought souvenir T-shirts for my family.

I do agree that business travel is disruptive to a harmonious home life, but make the most of the opportunities as they arise. Call me if you have a business trip to Sydney, Australia!
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