I'm typing this from a hotel business center in downtown Houston, where I'll be for the next couple of nights to engage with sales folks in the region to get a better feel for how they interact with clients and what my department can do to assist their efforts. When I first joined this company four years ago (officially celebrated this past Saturday, holla!), travel was something I rarely did, if ever, but in the last eighteen months or so we've been growing at an exponential rate, so now keeping tabs on activity "in the field" is going to be a regular part of my job. I've never considered myself to be a particularly savvy traveler, and in the spirit of my first solo round-trip extravaganza, I've tried to keep things as simple as possible, which for me means nonstop flights instead of connecting ones and cab rides instead of rental cars. Luckily, my bosses subscribe to the simple camp, as well.
Things have been OK so far. Saying good-bye to Luke and the kids this morning brought on my Angela Chase-inspired chin wobble and crocodile tears, but no major snags or snafus. I found my local Park, Ride and Fly with little trouble and passed quickly through security, giving me a two-hour window to check e-mail on my new fancy Blackberryjackphone thingamabob and shoot the breeze with my sister and Hoosier shredhead companion while waiting to board the plane. The plane itself was claustraphobically small, and my seat had an odd curve to it that prevented me from reclining in a completely comfortable position. Also contributing to my jumble of nerves was my tendency to relive the pilot episode of Lost, questioning my ability to properly attach the oxygen mask to my face and detach the bottom cushion so I could use it as a flotation device, just in case the plane crashed near a magical tropical island with the power to change time.
Once I landed in Houston, I hailed a cab to my hotel, and it wasn't until we were on the expressway that I thought about how vulnerable I was; this guy could have shot me in the face or driven me to some remote location to do God knows what. In case you couldn't tell, that didn't happen, so I booked him to take me back to the airport at 5 a.m. Wednesday morning.
Why yes, I am paranoid, thank you for asking!
If I were a single person with zero baby weight to lose and loads of dispensable cash on my hands, I'd probably be having the time of my life. I'm just a couple of blocks away from the Galleria Mall, where I found a place to eat dinner, and it would be easy to kill a couple of hours shopping for clothes and pigging out on treats. But instead I steared clear of NY&C entirely and enjoyed a whole-wheat turkey sandwich with a side of fruit while digging into a back issue of Working Mother magazine, a publication I like far better than any of the other parenting bibles on the stands these days. The sandwich had the potential to be just as damaging as a Big Mac, what with the zillion layers of meat and cheese, until I removed more than half of the guts, much to my server's chagrin. Jillian Michaels would have been proud.
Oh, and I miss my family like crazy.
I'm totally boring myself with this entry, but I figured my temporary kid-free status owed the Internet an update. Maybe I'll be wittier tomorrow. *Crosses fingers*
I SOOOO miss Angela Chase! sigh.
Posted by: eva | June 16, 2009 at 02:04 AM
I am the same way about traveling - thinking every stranger is a potential ax murderer! The biggest thing to enjoy is the uninterrupted sleep!
Posted by: Bren | June 16, 2009 at 08:07 AM
I don't think I could do the cab thing on my own - I would freak out! That would be the only reason to get a rental car for me - I am in control (and I would have a GPS so I didn't get lost). I hope you have fun in Houston. Note - it isn't the prettiest part of Texas by any stretch. DFW isn't much better. Austin and San Antonio are the nicer areas. So don't make a big assumption about Texas until you see SA and/or AUS!
Posted by: AJU5's Mom | June 16, 2009 at 08:43 AM
I would never be a good traveler on my own. Next time you're going somewhere let me know. I'll hunt high and low for a sitter, haha.
Posted by: Molly | June 16, 2009 at 09:24 AM
Flying freaks me out. A nice, quiet trip away by myself (yourself) sounds wonderful, though.
Posted by: Crystal | June 16, 2009 at 09:56 AM
Business travel isn't all it's cracked up to be, is it? If you come to St. Louis, we'll splurge on Subway and frozen yogurt. :)
Posted by: Liz | June 16, 2009 at 01:29 PM
Every time I get on a plane, I think about LOST. It doesn't help that when I was living in NYC, I worked with Michael Emerson's wife and he accompanied her to the airport once as we were leaving to do a gig out of town. Can you imagine Ben Linus being the last guy you see as you pass through security? FREAKY.
I know you miss your family so much, and I know they'll be ecstatic to see you on Wednesday. Try to enjoy some "me" time if you can, or at the very least, sleep through the night and take really long showers!
Posted by: Jen L. | June 16, 2009 at 03:08 PM
I don't even like going to the grocery store alone, so needless to say I've never done the travel by myself thing. Soon you will be home hugging those adorable little babies! I know it's not ideal but a breather, even in work-related form, can refresh you.
@Jen L.- That would truly, completely freak me the eff out. I don't think that man could look un-creepy or un-menacing if he tried (which is why he's my favorite! ;))
Posted by: rkmama | June 16, 2009 at 06:04 PM
Good adjustments along the way. That was the best it could be. Sometimes losses just need to be cut and move ahead in the best possible way. Good focus on business.
Posted by: daddyd | June 17, 2009 at 07:15 PM
B- check out Brain, Child magazine. I think you'd dig it.
Posted by: Liz | June 23, 2009 at 07:31 AM