one thing i'm not taking for granted right now : free wifi at orlando airport

i remember how excited i was for my first real 'grown up' business trip. i packed carefully. had trouble falling asleep. woke up before my alarm. printed out itineraries, schedules, hotel information, emergency numbers. painstakingly decided on exactly what outfit would constitute 'business casual' attire for the flight. showed up at the airport with plenty of time to spare. was thrilled that i could charge my coffee as an 'expense'. opened my planner on the plane and reviewed the day's agenda, perused the entire newspaper. why? because that's what business-savvy frequent fliers do.

right?

in the span of one year, business trips have lost a lot of their novelty. i still enjoy going somewhere different. i love the prospect of seeing a show that i'll be marketing and meeting some of my peers in the industry. but if excitement levels were to be described in color, i'd say that lately, i'm a warm beige when it comes to business trips.

recent trips are usually a race to the gate, bag packed - but not necessarily with things i will need. the pant/top ratio is usually all wrong and if the weather is unpredictable then i'm out of luck. wearing comfortable flats and a soft hoodie is essential. anything that needs ironing is not my friend so it doesn't get to travel with me. sunglasses are usually on, even inside, because i'm protesting the web of fluorescent overhead lights. hair is tangled. no makeup. and i have perfected the art of running with a full to the brim cup of coffee. basically, if i was a celebrity it would be a perfect moment for the paparazzi to take a picture of me, slap it on the cover of a trashy magazine and tag it with suspicions that i'm heading for a break down.

let's just pause for a minute and be thankful not to be celebrities.

i realize that this might read very 'spoiled bratt-ish' so i want to point out that i'm not being ungrateful. i realize that i'm super lucky to have a job i enjoy in an industry that i've always loved. what i know now, that i didn't realize when i was wide-eyed and eager a year ago, is just how tiring travel can be - when it isn't in tandem with a vacation. also, coming back to an inbox that is bursting at the seams is never fun.

i guess the other thing that has become so clear to me is how much better it is to share in escapades and adventures with someone by your side.

i love to travel. i probably always will. but i love it most when i'm with my best friend.