The Weary Traveler

So I'm sitting in my hotel room, eating room service for the first time in my life, and watching Sleepers for the umpteenth time because as much as it disturbs me, I also think it's a phenomenal movie. This scene is made even more depressing by the fact that I have forgotten my cell phone and I refuse to pay for calls from the hotel's phone so I'm completely unreachable. I'm in Wilmington, Delaware and that's when it hits me: business travel sucks.
I had heard people complain about business trips, but never really experienced the suckiness until yesterday.

My first business trip was to Denver for the '04 election and besides the cold weather and long hours, it was fantastic. We made fun of people on Halloween for dressing up, I learned that Rocky Mountain High also applies to alcohol, and our candidate won. Not bad.

Then I went to Boston and spent two days catering to my boss' every whim, but spent the night there drinking alcohol out of a bowl and embarrassing myself mightily in front of my family friend's fiancee. Whatever, it made for a good story at the wedding.

Then I went to Seattle for a week in August. If you don't know much about Seattle, know this: August and September are the best times to visit. It is perfect weather. I was also put up at a four-star hotel and had dinner on the top floor of the Space Needle, all expenses paid.

Little Rock was its own adventure and that but that brings me to yesterday. I knew the trip was already off to a bad start when my coworker, who I usually travel with, wasn't going to be able to go. Strike one. I hauled myself out of bed and 7am and of course my train was delayed. Strike two. When I got to the convention center and I quickly realized I've been asked to do mission: impossible. It was obvious that the conference was much smaller and more difficult to navigate than I had expected. I made what contacts I could and fled shortly after the evening's reception started.

So that is why I was sitting in my room at 8 eating room service and watching TV. I figured I'd go to bed at 11 after the movie was over. I was exhausted and at least I could get a good night's sleep.

Nine hours and one lumpy-ass mattress later I checked out. Strike three.