There and Back Again

Pondering: Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. (James M. Barrie)

For the last three weeks, I feel like I’ve been living off of a suitcase.  After awhile it gets a little boring and tiring.  I miss my bed, I miss my own bathroom, I miss my own car, I miss my own cooking.  As I write this, I am on board Virgin America back to San Francisco and this should be the last trip I take for a while, unless of course my sister decides to spend her December birthday elsewhere.

Three weeks ago, I was in Austin, TX for the Austin City Music Festival.  It was a lot of fun – I can tell you that albeit there weren’t too many bands I was familiar with who performed.  It was like going to a picnic everyday, eating unhealthy, greasy, barbeque food and sitting under the sun and watching people go about their own business.  The temperature was ridiculously high, of course but pleasant.  The festival this year was more organized than it was three years ago when I went.  The shuttles to and from the park were more controlled and the turnaround quicker.  The only downside was the hotel where we stayed in.  It’s one of those hotels where the acoustics are just really, really poor.  The occupants of the neighboring rooms liked to talk loud and decided, on the second night, to have some friends over for a late – LATE – night cap of drinks and screaming, excitable girls.  I had to call security twice to get them to shut up and by the time they did, well it was 4PM.  Thank god, I could sleep in.

The week after Austin, I had to fly to Sparks, NV for 3-day conference.  I stayed at what seems to be the only decent hotel in Sparks.  Why the conference couldn’t be in Reno, where there is a bit more life around, I don’t know.  The hotel was a sad place – old décor, dark hallways, cheap polyester beddings, an empty casino and restaurants that serve the most tasteless dishes.  The whole place reminded me of a senior center complete with a bingo hall in the basement and a gift shop that sold items from probably the 1980’s.  The whole time I was there, I felt like I was in a time warp and I couldn’t wait to get out.  The training/conference I attended was another thing that I don’t even want to discuss and think about.

This week, I was in Las Vegas for a conference and a bit of R&R.  I didn’t really do much while in Vegas.  The conference itself took up two of the three days I was there.  On Saturday, my sister and I went outlet shopping, like we always do, and spent the evening winning and losing a few dollars on the slot machines that give out free spins.

Life on the road can be tiring after awhile. I can’t imagine how others can do it all the time as part of their jobs. I find that while I’m on the road, I do miss the comfort of my own bed, the joy of eating food I cooked in my own kitchen, and the routine of my days at home.  I wish I were home already…