Business Travel? Did you forget something?
· Am I bringing all the hardware I need? Be sure to you have your notebook, mouse (with wireless sensor), power cord, EV-DO card and antenna, USB flash drive, and a CAT-6 cable (just in case). What about an external monitor and keyboard, Nah- too big just won’t fit into the luggage.
· What about software and files? Most files are kept on a shared network drive at the office, so copy anything you may need while away over to one of your notebook’s internal drives. Try to be selective. You could always hook in over GoToMyPC and download it, but that would be much slower than copying it now.
· Am I really ready for the meetings? You can never be as ready as you’d like to be, but you should be ready enough to satisfy the client.
· Did I pack enough clothes, etc.? You can always stop somewhere and pick up toiletries that you might have forgotten, but you probably won’t have enough time to shop for clothes. And you’d hate to be a shirt short, hoping they wouldn’t notice on the last day that you already wore that one two days ago.
· Am I packing too much stuff? Do you really need two extra suits of clothes, or three pairs of underwear per day. Travel light. Don’t drag a huge suitcase around for a trip that only lasts a few days.
· What if they lose my luggage? Maybe not lost but it could be delayed by as much as a day — which can get rather embarrassing if you have to present to clients wearing your travel clothes from the day before. Probably best to cut back to a carry-on… and then go back to “Did I pack enough clothes”.
· Will I get to the airport on time? Think ahead about the time of day you are traveling and local traffic conditions. Plan to arrive early enough to get checked in and through security on time. What if there is a bad wreck? The cab is late, delayed, or even canceled?
· What if the flight gets delayed? It’s always a good idea to take an earlier flight so you can fall back to a later Plan B that still works.
· What about terrorists? Besides everything else we travelers have to worry about, now we’re also supposed to keep our eyes open for shifty-looking characters wearing flammable-looking shoes.
· What if someone thinks that I’m a terrorist? Hmmm…traveling alone and what are all those gadgets he’s carrying? Maybe we’d better pull him aside and put you through the air puffer and maybe wave the wand over you. And then…
· What if someone else picks up my carry-on’s while I’m being detained by TSA? That equipment not only costs thousands of dollars, but the hard drive contains a lot of sensitive information.
· What if something goes horribly wrong with the airplane? As fuel prices pinch the airlines, they’re cutting corners all over the place. They’re being as careful as they can not to take shortcuts that would compromise safety — but it only takes once.
· What if I drink too much in front of my client? Often, these visits involve activities that extend into the evening — and shared alcohol features as a social bonding agent. You have to be careful to know your limits and not make a fool out of yourself.
· What if I drink too much coffee? Coffee is often provided at meetings like these, and it’s easy to chain-drink. Again, make sure that you don’t suddenly increase your level of consumption, or you could find yourself overcome by the spike in caffeine and the need for trips to the bathroom. If you don’t drink coffee at all usually, then maybe you’d better bring your own tea or whatever it is you drink. If you plan to partake, get your tolerance up well before your trip.
· What can I eat? This is may be the toughest issue. You should be very picky and thoughtful about food selections. Many foods available at the airport and the hotel are loaded with salt and carbs. HOWEVER, if you are traveling internationally diarrhea may be one thing you are up against! PEEL IT – BOIL IT- or FORGET IT!
· When can I exercise? Daily exercise is the best medicine for clear thinking and overall good health. It can even cure a hangover. But if your meeting starts at 8AM and you also want breakfast, you’ve got to get up plenty early to have time for a morning walk. And depending on the location of the hotel, you may be taking your life in your own hands at that hour.
· Will I leave something behind? Try to have a place for everything, so you don’t accidentally forget to bring something home. But being out of your normal routine anyway, sometimes that doesn’t work.
· Will my family like what I got for them? There’s never enough time to shop for gifts until you’re back at the airport waiting for your flight. The shops available there have a limited selection at outrageous prices — in a good way. So there’s always the probability that whatever you get for the kids will be met by an unheartfelt “Thanks,” or that you’ll be chastised for spending too much money on junk. But just try coming home with nothing.
· What will be my punishment for going out of town? Everyone else in the family looks on this little excursion of mine as some sort of pleasure trip. Once back, you may be forced into all sorts of extra work around the house and help with projects. Not to mention your other clients whom you have had to ignore while away. Nor all the email and feeds that haven’t been read and responded to. After all you’ve had to worry about, and all that will be waiting for you to do when you return, YOU ARE GOING TO NEED A VACATION!
A Passport Health of Tampa Bay "Health & Travel Tips" Newsletter Article, November 2007
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