Some more non-business things I learned on my business trip

[jaunthie]

I'm back safe and sound in my usual part of the world. I'm glad to report that I had absolutely ZERO travel issues during the trip; all my flights were on time, I had nice seat-mates, and my checked bag not only made it to my destinations without getting lost or delayed (always a worry when you have to change planes mid-trip), but the TSA didn't even bother to search it (most other trips, I've found the "hey, we looked through your bag" notice in my bag. Dunno why.). The trip was very good, business-wise. And I also learned/confirmed the following:

• I'm still immune to jet lag. Hurrah! I was slightly worried that I might have "grown out" of this useful trait, but apparently not.


• I gave up coffee for the entire trip, and did not get caffeine-withdrawal headaches or have any other problems. So while I probably still drink too much coffee in my normal workaday life (1-2 cups a day), I'm apparently not addicted.


• It's much easier to change habits (like drinking a cup of coffee every morning) when I'm completely out of my usual environment and routine. It's not that I wasn't working just as hard or harder (I was averaging 10-to-11 hour workdays during my visit), and it's not as if I wasn't getting up early or getting more sleep than usual (if anything, I was getting a bit less sleep than normal). But because my routine and environment was completely alien anyway, not drinking coffee was relatively simple.


• Working in an office where the air-conditioning system has broken down is much more annoying when the office is located in a hot, humid climate. (This happened during my trip, fortunately only for a day.) There's many reasons why I work and live where I do; high among them is the fact that air-conditioning is not a life-support system here.


• No matter how good the trip, it's not a great trip if fisherbear isn't with me. (Like that's news.)

Now I'm back. And yes, I'm drinking coffee again. But it's nice to know I don't really have to. ;-)

Comments

[monkeybard]

Welcome home! I'm glad that, other than the lack of AC one day, the trip was smooth sailing. :)

[jaunthie.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Want to meet for coffee tomorrow morning - or maybe Friday morning?

[monkeybard]

Yes and yes. ;)

[hiker-chick.livejournal.com]

Glad you're back. The, um, coffee missed you. :-)

[jaunthie.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I missed the, um, coffee too. ;-) We need to get together for lunch or something this week!

[sunkrux.livejournal.com]

So now you understand why I left the south 12 years ago...heat AND humidity.

Glad to hear your trip there was pleasant, relatively trouble free and you're home safe and sound. ;)

[jaunthie.livejournal.com]

LOL - I was never under any illusion about the weather in the south, SunKrux. And I suspect the heat and humidity are only two of the many reasons why you changed locales. ;-)

I hope your current heat wave doesn't get too sticky and hot!

[sunkrux.livejournal.com]

;) Yeah, that's true...there were a couple of other reasons, but the main three were to get to know my aunt, and getting away from the heat and humidity. ;)

It's hot, just but not to sticky...it's dry enough here that the sweat dries fairly quickly so you don't get all sticky, icky feeling. ;)

[(Anonymous)]

I'm just jealous that you managed to get an empty water bottle through security. On both legs of our trip (Seattle-Philly then Philly-Seattle) we were hoping to be able to bring our own 2L water bottle and fill it from the water fountains past the security checkpoints.

But nnnooooooo! Empty bottles are apparently enough of a threat that we couldn't take them and so we ended up paying something along the lines of $15 for 4L of water at those usurious snack stands past the security checkpoints.

It's a plot I tells ya' A PLOT!

--Jake
(not at all immune to jetlag and so awake at a completely unreasonable hour despite the fact that I'm missing about half of my normal sleep time)