Any work travellers?

[Hawk]

any of you out there have to travel alot for work? If you typically enjoy travel, at what point is it too much? Does it really suck?

[Hotsauce]

Yep, I travel 2-3 nights a week. I usually stay at the same 2 hotels. I alternate b/w them both, which I would say really helps me stay sane. Try to stick to the same hotel group to rack up the points (I.e. Marriott or hilton, I am a Marriott man myself). I get all kinds of sweet benefits for being an "Elite Member".

You also got to get used to a routine. This involves the way you pack, the time you check in, etc. I bring my own pillow, coffee mug, sound machine, and bottled water (in a small cooler). I would highly recommend getting a small cooler to keep H20 in. I am also going to bring tuberwear so that I can save half of my dinner and eat it for lunch the next day (my company only pays for dinner, not lunch).

I also bring my personal laptop so that I can cruz the internetz without worry about my company monitoring the sites I visit...

For me I hit a point where I am now used to calling the hotels I stay in "home". So at some point you don't feel like you are traveling, but rather it becomes a normal part of your routine. And finally, you really have to become disciplined. I have seen married guys screw up their lives while being on the road. You have to be comfortable eating alone, and not over-drinking.

All-in-all it is a different way to work/live. Honestly I have only been traveling for a few months, and I believe I have a couple of years of this in me.

[Davidson Deac II]

Use to travel some, but not so much anymore. Enjoyed traveling for the most part, especially on the company dime. Although there were certain places I would never go back to.

For the first day or two, it was usually fun. Work all day and party at night doing the things I couldn't do at home. But after a couple of days, I would usually start missing the wife and kid pretty bad.

[mr beauxjangles]

I travel 3-6 times each month. I enjoy the travel but any more than 5 times a month (taking up all or part of ten days) and it really inhibits my ability to get the other parts of my job done without working 12 hour days and on the weekend.

[Hawk]

I ask because in my current job, I might only travel a couple times per year, for typically a week at a time, on the company dime.

I'm considering leaving my job for a new job that targets 66% travel.

The pluses are I could pretty much live where ever I want to as they'll pay all travel and the time I'm not on the road, I can work from home, so they don't care where I live.

I have a 10 year old though and I'm concerned that it might be too much time away. It's also a little less money, but I think, I'm pretty sure actually, that I will enjoy it much more than the position I am currently in.

[Happy Panther]

I was on the road for 12 out of 30 days in April. Hardcore marketing everyday.

Each time I flew out i pondered ways to bail on the trip.

But ended up really having a good experience on each trip.

Just one of those things

[Happy Panther]

I have a 10 year old though and I'm concerned that it might be too much time away. It's also a little less money, but I think, I'm pretty sure actually, that I will enjoy it much more than the position I am currently in.

less money and much more travel seems like a red flag to me dude.

[Hawk]

ya...the money doesn't concern me as much as the time away does. My problem is, in my current role, I've become extremely stagnant, don't see too many opportunities to advance and it's zapping any desire I have to do much else. It's slowly killing me to be honest. I have one other opportunity here that I should hear about fairly soon and if that falls through, this new place will be extremely tempting. I'm too young to feel this damn old!

[PanthaSan]

I used to do Ex Pat work.

28 on and 28 off with 2 days travel each way. Great money, plus you only work 6 months. I was able to commit to a 1 year rotation but then I would have to stick close to home for a year. It did affect my kids schooling but they got used to it after a bit and we really enjoyed the time off.

I will probably go back to that after my youngest gets to be about 4 or so. And that would only be because I will stockpile retirement cash an try to stop working by the time I am 58.

Right now, family time is my priority but I totally understand feeling stagnant and since your child is 10, it is easier to reason with her why you will be gone.

Good luck, buddy

[Hawk]

thanks PS...I'd be home every weekend too and the time I'm not travelling, I'd be working from home too...so we'd lose our evenings is all really.

[Darth Biscuit]

PM SouthCak... he's on the road a LOT I think.

I don't see myself ever being able to travel that much, unless it's after my boys are grown. I like sleeping in my own bed too much too.

One good friend of mine leaves every Monday and returns home every Thursday night... I don't see how you can keep up your stuff like that. It would kill me.