When I was young, I would love to visit my Aunt Lee and Uncle Charlie (Photo Below).  They had a collection of photo albums documenting their travels.  I remember flipping through each album admiring my relative’s sense of adventure.  I was especially fascinated by the western United States trips, probably because I didn’t get out of Kentucky a great deal.

I think some of that sense of adventure rubbed off on me. In the past eight years, my travel has been over 50% and I have worked for over 50 clients in 22 states and 5 countries. (Editor’s Note:  Average company travel is 15%). In that time, I have learned a few ways to travel more efficiently and with less stress.  From the outside, seeing the world on the company dime may look glamorous, but consistently being away from home and the people that love you can lead to serious job burnout IF YOU LET IT.

These rules really help me to not only survive, but also thrive.   Our clients expect (as they should) a knowledgeable, high energy delivery.  These rules to provide consistant energy are nothing that I have read or heard.  In some of these rules, I get very personable and maybe a little sappy, but they are from the heart.  It is my hope that this non-technical post helps you, your family, and your work.

Rule Number One – Drink a quality airport beer.
Some people have a victory cigar….I have a quality beer at the airport when the week’s work is done.  I am going home to my three kids.  I am going home to my “stuff”.  I have worked hard all week, and it is celebration time with this simple reward.

Rule Number Two – Embrace being home.
Whether my time at home is only for the weekend or an entire week, I try to capitalize.  Your time to decompress off the job is twice as important as your time on the job.  Hug your family.  This rule grossly improves the following week’s attitude when in front of a client.

Rule Number Three – Don’t expect the kids to celebrate your grand arrival when gone for five days.
Admittedly…I don’t do well with this one.  I try to understand that their lives do not revolve around me.  When I leave for a business trip, they don’t hit pause and hit resume when I return.

Rule Number Four – Avoid the hotel like the plague, and take full advantage of what your destination has to offer.
One major perk of traveling is the ability to see some amazing sites.  My last trip to Burbank, California in February, I was able to climb the mountain to the Hollywood sign (Figure 1) and tour Beverly Hills and Warner Brothers.  In the past, I have gone shrimping, swam in the Great Salt Lake, toured Mt. Saint Helens, and attended numerous sporting events. My absolute favorite was taking a four-wheel drive tour on the New Zealand coast to go seal watching.  Simple…. Get out of the hotel room. If necessary, turn on your cell phone mapping application, look for green (i.e., park), and go to it.  Ask the hotel staff what they suggest, but don’t be surprised if they don’t know what is in their own back yard.  I guarantee you that you will not remember what the hotel room looked like in a few months.  You will remember what the area looked like for years.  Experience it!

Rule Number Five – Engage/Befriend the client.
I often spend more time with my clients than I do my family.  I consider my clients to be my friends and thoroughly enjoy any opportunity to do nonwork activities together.  Whether it is ping pong, racquetball, or going out for an evening beer…. The feeling of teamwork is enhanced, which not only makes the onsite work atmosphere better, it leads to a better ending product.  Plus being alone just plain stinks.

Some of my favorite after work activities with my client friends include touring Fish Lake in the Cascades, touring the entire state of New Mexico over a weekend, and turkey hunting in South Dakota (See Figure 2 Below).

Rule Number Six – Exercise
I have heard that road warriors gain one pound per week on the road.  I don’t consider myself an oil painting on the cover of GQ with my shirt off, but I try to work out at least once a day (sometime twice a day).  Get your butt moving!

Rule Number Seven – Eat Well
Another perk of travel is the ability to eat different local foods.  I try to take advantage of it by trying foods that I wouldn’t normally try.  I once had a three week job in Portland, Maine.  I set the goal of eating 30 lobsters during the duration of the trip.  I didn’t quite make it, but it was sure fun trying (ate 24 lobsters).

Rule Number Eight – Don’t change time zones
It is said that it takes one day to fully recover for each time zone crossed.   I guess that is applicable when one goes back home which basically makes one screwed up all the time.  My point is why change?  When I travel to the office from home (Philadelphia), I jump two time zones (Eastern Time to Mountain Time).  In Colorado, I  get up and go to bed two hours earlier which is exactly the same time as home.  This is hard when traveling to Europe or overseas.  I was never really good at it.  My only advice when traveling overseas is to sleep on the plane however you can (i.e., sleeping pill if necessary).

Rule Number Nine– When an adverse travel situation arises, try to roll with it.

I usually do well with this, but there are times I have done poorly.  Last year, I had multiple flight cancellations on consecutive weeks on a change-over flight in Chicago.  This resulted in unscheduled overnight stays in Chicago.  On one episode, I snapped for about thirty minutes.  I used a trusted Gator and Buckeye friend to listen and sympathize.   All I needed.  Have trusted, well-traveled friends that listen/sympathize if/when you lose it.

Rule Number Ten– Various

• Take a cell phone photograph of the sign identifying where you park.  Five days (or more) can be a long time to remember.
• Place a hide-a-key somewhere under your car.  If you lose your keys on the road, it can be difficult to get another set especially late at night in the parking garage.
• Be nice to the service (i.e., airport, hotel, restaurant) staff.  It is easier to get what you want with a smile (and it is just more fun).

• Hotels and rental car companies usually have quarterly point incentive, but you have to sign up online. Check these out prior to travel.  If you are sick of travel, hotel points are easily converted to Christmas presents.  Gift cards for your own use to buy presents are probably your biggest bang for the buck.
• Hampton Inn has a TOGO Breakfast every morning.  Grab one.  There is a water bottle and some other editable food in it in case you have to work through lunch.
• Use a rewards credit card.  I don’t care what Dave Ramsey says….it adds up.
• The hotel sometimes ask for the license plate of the rental car….It is often on the key chain.
• Unplug the hotel phone in the room.  Kids will sometimes make prank calls from different rooms late at night.  Seriously, if somebody needs you, are they going to call the hotel phone?
• Keep the hotel room cold, and use an extra blanket.  You will sleep like a baby.  If the hotel air conditioner/heater is loud, change the setting to constant fan.  The constant noise is easier to ignore than one that goes on and off.
• Keep all your banking mobile via online banking and/or spreadsheets in the cloud.  Much easier to deal with a financial situation with this information readily available.
• Have all the travel applications organized on your phone.  This will assist is last minute alterations to schedule.
• Unless absolutely necessary, never check your luggage.  If traveling for multiple weeks straight, there is no other option.  If your bag is slightly over the fifty pound weight, lean it against the side of the scale.  I have seen this take 0.5 pounds off the scale.
• I love to bring home shower caps from the hotel.  They are excellent to quickly cover leftover dishes.

Is business travel glamourous?  It can be.  Is business travel a nightmare and a recipe for burnout?  It can be.  It all depends on the business traveler, and what level of effort he/she is willing to put forward to enjoy the opportunity.  And it is an opportunity.

I would love your hear your ideas and comments on successfull travel techniques in the comments below.  Plus it may help in finally beating Skye in the visitor count.