Business Travel Reality

Some people think business travel is sexy – these are the people who don’t travel for business. Nothing against the job – I enjoy it and think I’m pretty good at it, but some times the travel starts to get to you.Perfect example – an overnight trip to a meeting in Orlando at Disney World. My client said they needed me there so I booked a ticket for the next day. For the record, the TSA loves when you buy a last-minute ticket like that – there is a guy in Security at Newark airport that still needs to buy me a drink after our “screening” time together…

First of all, being the only person in a suit getting on the flight when everyone else was in Hawaiian shirts and flip flops with their children in toe all with that look of anticipation of seeing the mouse and starting a great vacation should have been the first sign. The flight was not bad, but when I got to the hotel it was more of the same. It’s very difficult to get any work done then everyone else around you is on vacation. I was able to meet with the people I needed to at the conference, and it was a very successful day. Now, alone, I have the rest of the night by myself. The happiest place on earth is not so happy when you are there alone. So I did what anyone else would do – made the most of the night and then get an earlier flight in the morning.

So I make my way back to the Orlando airport and the fun part of business travel came back. Despite being very early in the morning, the security line was wrapped around and a round those snake-like strap dividers that always put people in a good mood. Again, Hawaiian shirts, flops and many, many children were the rule, however this time the mood was much different with bad sunburns and bad attitudes of people returning home to work or school dominating the scene. I am in the back of the line when I hear the TSA announcement, “The terrorist security alert has been lowered from Donald to Goofy – please be advised.” At this point I have two thoughts: I need coffee and I need to get home. Happily, I was not scrutinized during my security check – must have been the Goofy alert level – and I was off to the gate. The only seat available was an middle, but it was mine, and I was on my way home.