Business travel

The stars at night
Are big and bright
Deep in the heart of Texas
-George Strait

Yee-haw and howdy! Right now I am writing from the comfort of my totally adequate business traveler hotel near the conference I am attending. I wish I was attending one of the super fun blogger conferences that have been going on lately, but this is work related. Not quite as much fun. (Also: the only person who has said "yee-haw" or "howdy" so far is me. It is possible I know nothing about Texas).

I travel a bit for work, and while I am lucky that most of my trips are day trips (Amtrak and I are very well acquainted), every so often I get the pleasure of spending a few days in a new city. Business travel isn't usually the most fun. Oh, the first day is OK -- you're excited to get to your destination, you check out your hotel and it kind of feels a little bit like you're on vacation...but that usually only lasts about 24 hours. Now the honeymoon is over, and I miss my doggy, I miss my time zone, I miss my comfy bed.

While I'm counting down the hours until I head home, I thought I'd share a few of the tips I've picked up that make business travel (and maybe all travel) a bit easier:

1. Pack light

This is definitely a hard one for me, but I find that when I travel, I never regret the clothes I didn't take; I do regret stuffing my suitcase to the breaking point and having to lug it on planes, trains, and automobiles. Check the weather before you pack, be realistic about your needs, and REALLY think about your shoe wardrobe. Those suckers are heavy.

These aren't mine, but I do love my pretty pink suitcase
Photo credit: Love Pink

Busy

I haven't been able to keep up with my usual blog reading for the past few days, and I definitely haven't been able to check in here.  Anyway, here is a quick update of what I've been up to.

There has been an awful lot of this:

Actual desk: I don't always use three different devices simultaneously...but sometimes I do

See ya real soon

Heading out of town for a few days...obligatory dog in the suitcase shot!

Yes my little fuzzball, I wish you were coming with me

Don't worry, neither of us will be having any fun. I'll be at a conference in Philadelphia (probably wishing I was anywhere else), and Audrey will be at the vet. This is the first time I've ever boarded her and only the second time I've left her...I suspect one or both of us may have a hard time at the drop-off.

The alarm is going off early tomorrow...time to get a little shut eye!