Saturday, January 12, 2008

Recharging

I returned from my business trip last night and the jetlag is killing me. It was a very long trip with lots of stress. I pretty much subsisted on pub food and very little sleep.

Unlike my previous trips, looking at family pictures on my smartphone just accentuated the fact I missed them terribly and got the waterworks started. I can't say I've ever had that happen to me before - any of you had that experience? Fortunately that was always in the privacy of my hotel room - I don't cotton with the idea of doing personal things at work, particularly if I'm offsite, which I think was my saving grace this time around.

When I saw the kids and my sis last night, I shook with waves of joy and relief! I think if I hugged the kids any harder, they'd pop! Unfortunately, I still didn't have a good night's sleep last night. I think it's because when I'm overtired, I don't sleep well.

I did manage to sneak in a single pathetically short jaunt to the mall during my trip and found some goodies to bring home. As a result, my sis and I were treated to squeals of delight and laughter this morning as the kids played with the knick-knacks I gave them. A very pleasant way to spend a Saturday morning, I must say.

Most of the day is gone and I'm still exhausted. I've done nothing much besides eat and rest and I still feel distinctly unmotivated to do anything, which is unusual. I have a nasty suspicion I have caught a cold, not something I need at this juncture in my worklife.

But I'm home, surrounded by my family with a cuppa beside me. For a lazy Saturday afternoon, that's one form of bliss I'm quite content to have.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Ties

I'm due to go on a business trip soon. I get to use my brand new passport with the new ugly photo and all. Whee!

It's weird, I haven't left but I'm already missing my sis and the kids intensely. So intensely I haven't been able to sleep well lately. I can't imagine how much worse this is going to be once I actually leave. I'll find out but I don't think I'll like the experience very much.

Back when I was younger, I used to love business trips. It was a treat then - companies simply didn't let their developers roam outside their cubicle farms, let alone send them to meet (*gasp*) live customers. I remember it being fun then and indeed, I traveled quite a bit. I have very fond memories of having the most delectable rabbit kidneys in a restaurant in Hull, QC. Or blowing $800 back in 1997 on a sushi dinner with clients in San Francisco (don't worry, I expensed the lot).

Nowadays, it's just a drag. I'm looking at many many many days either in a cramped office or a lonely hotel room. I have no car there since there's no way I'm insane enough to go driving in that city. Don't get me wrong, there's very decent business reasons why I'm there. I should know, I reviewed them myself. It's still a drag though.

You know what I'll miss the most? The noise and thunder of the kids playing. The quiet companionship of my sister once the kids are in bed. The fact that at the end of the day, where I return to is the place I call home. Home is where the family is.

Which is where I won't be for a little while. Must remember to pack a ton or two of Kleenex.