Two Weeks In…One Week to Go
The joy and pain of being on the road for three weeks…
This current trip has been fun but tiring. I have worked two trade shows as an exhibitor for my company and walked the Paris Air Show on the weekend in between. As I write this, I am on my way back to the Netherlands for some much-needed non-work time.
This is the start of week three of this three-week trip to Europe. There are many things I enjoy about travel. Business travel is different from personal travel. First and foremost, I’m here to do a job. My company has seen fit to pay for my trip to Europe, so completing my work is always my top priority. I’ve been social for the last two weeks nearly constantly. My time has been spent in big cities – Amsterdam, Paris, Cologne and brief stops in Brussels. For someone who lives in a small city in Oregon, this can be a bit overwhelming at times.
Another big difference between a work trip and a personal trip is how I pack. If I were traveling through these areas in Europe for fun, I would swap my work shoes for trail shoes, the polos for more t-shirts and the company jacket for my outdoor gear. I would bring my cycling shorts, shoes and pedals to enjoy the opportunities for a great ride in Germany and the Netherlands. My hotels would be on the outskirts of cities, where it is easy to get into nature. I also wouldn’t be smelling great by the end of the trip, but I would be having a lot of fun.
This trip is largely about the cities. These are places of business, entertainment and culture. It is an opportunity to see and experience things that are out of my comfort zone, to taste new things and learn about new markets. Cities are where the world runs. Nature is where I find relaxation.
As I get closer to The Haag, I’m finding it harder to get excited about the next two nights here. I will see some great sights, learn about Delft pottery and hopefully meet some fun people. I will not be surrounded by trees or up in the alps on this trip. Quite the opposite, I will be at or below sea level most of the time, in an area with a rich history of commerce, trade and conquest. I’m sure I will enjoy most of it. That I will see some great things. I’m also looking forward to getting back on the train and stopping at a city on the Rhine, getting a cheap hotel and visiting castles that were once only places in dreams.
In one week, I will be back home in Oregon for a few days before my next trip. I will hop on my bike, visit a grocery store and cook my own food for the first time in 21 days. I will do laundry and look back on the memories from this trip, enjoying the unexpected, the exploration and the discovery of new things. I will do it from the comfort of home, from the isolation of my apartment and with the knowledge that the world has more to offer beyond the trees and valleys and mountains of Oregon.
