Whirlwind

It hardly seems possible that I have returned from the much-anticipated trip to Bahston.  As soon as I crossed the line that I have emotionally drawn delineating New England from the rest of the world, I found myself breathing deeper, more easily.  I love New England so much.  I consider myself a New Englander trapped in the life of a Mid-Atlantic gal. 

Highlights of my trip:

• Seeing colleagues from all over the world
• Schmoozing and joking with dentists about how the best prize we had to offer was a clock because everyone needs to tell time.  Noone needs a 40″ LCD tv, do they?
• Attending a dinner at which my company gave prizes for the most photogenic customers
• Being told that I should go on a diet and grow my hair (yeah….that really happened.)
• Walking through the Boston Common and Public Gardens on a frigid night, feeling safer than I do in my own house when it is locked up
• Dancing (insert puzzled, perplexed embarassed face here) with my colleagues from NY and DC
• Having one of my colleagues sit on my lap on the cab ride to the hotel
• Just being in Boston
• Seeing a friend I’ve not spoken to in five years, feeling like only 5 minutes had elapsed

I always found work travel so romantic.  You get to see different cities, talk to people, experience new cultures, sleep in hotels, eat at nice restaurants.  Yeah.  That was until I realized that you get to see different conference rooms, see (and smell) cabs to and from the conference centers, have work pile up while you are out of town.  Life on the road isn’t all that romantic.  It is fun, don’t get me wrong.  I love to travel, even if it is for a short trip.  But the exhaustion that I am experiencing right now (from going to bed at 2AM and getting up at 7AM) will take me a few days to overcome. 

But I am excited.  On Thursday, I get to do it all over again in DC.