Gone are the days I was a road warrior, logging more than a dozen international trips per year and earning the coveted status on airline’s frequent flyers’ club. In those days, I memorized many numbers from filling the same form too many times and zip in and out the airport skillfully. I also suffered insomnia, separation from family, weight gains from not eating right and not exercising, sick from all the travel bugs, and fatique from joggling too many jet-lags with Ambiens. Business travellers fly to a far-away and exotic city only to stay in a window-less conference room all day. When they wake up in the wee hours, they fire up their laptop and try to catch up work.
I dreaded the world-tour that I am undertaking now. The trip to Bangalore will take more than 21 hours in flight time and 30 hours door to door. The flight back will be equally exhausting. I cringed when the clerk handed me the boarding pass that showed the seat 51K: no upgrade on a fully boooked plane. This is going to suck.
Yes, I asked for this trip myself. There are things better done in person, instead of via technologies. I was also inspired by a recent communication training: there is nothing to substitute a high-touch engagement. I knew that, but have been stalling to do the right thing.
So here I am. Tired and lonely in a foreign city. Wishing you a happy Moon Cake Festival. Hope that you appreciated the full moon before you fell asleep in your comfy bed.
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