Most people love traveling, but work travel typically requires a certain taste. Just because it’s part of your job though doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it.
Plan
Whereas when you travel for pleasure and get to sit in the driver’s seat, business travel is the opposite in a lot of ways. To alleviate stress and still manage to check off your personal must-see list and gather some semblance of your business schedule as well. You can identify times to check off a few boxes or when you might have downtime to squeeze a few in.
Packing is an Art Form
Pack light. You will never regret not having to lug around a bulky suitcase from a cab to an airport to an office then to a hotel. Plus it’s important to remember that things never go as planned so in the case that you pack light, you can hang on to your belongings as a carry-on and not worry about lost luggage and all the hassles that come along with it.
Also, remember that size limits and convenience. What do you need to bring, what do you need to maintain access to in flight and how can you make it all fit? As David Lavenda instructs, “Store items in a designated location. Organize your luggage and especially your computer bag/carry-on so that items have a designated place. This makes it easy to locate gear like cables and connectors, which are prone to get lost.”
Make the Most of It
It doesn’t have to be all work and no fun. With a little research and effort, you can turn almost any trip into a mini vacation. You’re still away from home and most of the priorities and stresses there are inaccessible so accept it and see it as a chance to unplug and escape some of the responsibilities back at home. Lynze Wardle Lenio reminds, “Even if you aren’t headed to a beachside city or major metropolis, work trips don’t have to be total snooze-fests. Every destination, no matter how small, has something to keep you and your co-workers entertained. Find the local hot spots using TripAdvisor and Fodor’s, or search by city on the Food Network website for restaurants featured on shows like Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.” The fact of the matter is, no matter the place it has something new or interesting to offer.
TSA: Rip it off like Bandaid
No one enjoys the tedium associated with security checkpoints, but it’s an inevitable encounter with every single flight and if you can’t go over it, you might as well go through it as quickly as possible. To make it through as quickly as possible, make sure any necessary removed items are easily accessible. As described in Inc., “Wear shoes that are comfortable (the lines get pretty long) and can easily be removed and put back on. Don’t bring any large bottles of lotion or liquids with you. … Avoid belts, jewelry except your wedding ring or anything with metal accents,” reminds Pamela Shand, CEO of Offer Stage Consulting. Also, keep in mind that TSA has to put up with people frustrated and flustered on a daily basis. If you keep it together and make their jobs as easy as possible, they will do the same for you. Don’t show up in the last five minutes before a flight either, because that’s just unnecessary stress for everyone involved.