Day 31 - Business Travel

The grass is always greener on the other side - a saying that usually comes true in some form or another at some stage of your life. I believe that it is never more truer than with respect to traveling out of your country on business.

When one is young and just starting a job, one always feels envious of the 'seniors' who get to travel all over the world on work. What could be more fun? You get to go to different places, the travel and stay is free and you just have to do some work when there. Without spending any money on the expensive things like travel and stay, you get to see many new places and cities of the world. The first trip is always very exciting. As the day comes closer you have mixed feelings - you are excited about going to a new place and at the same time a bit worried about how you will tackle the place. Its usually fun when you are young and for the first few times or at least the first time to a new place.

Then as the 'foreign' travel increases you start to dread the same. Even if the travel and stay is free, who would want to sit in a cramped aircraft for umpteen hours, bear the ridiculous late night flight times from India, eat the 'bad' food and suffer jet lag when you get to your location. Not to consider the fact that you need to work there and will probably have no time to roam the city.

If you are like me the business travels become even more difficult. I am not a great fan of roaming a new city all alone, unlike my Dad. My Dad will land in a new place and use the hotel room only to sleep. He gets out and roams the city taking in the museums and the sights and sounds using the local transport. He doesn't know how the tube or the bus service works but will still experiment and see the city. I, on the other hand, dread the fact that I may have to use the local transport. I fear that I may get lost in a new city and I don't like to experiment. And this is more true if I don't have any company.

On a business travel, I hate the fact that I have to go away from my family and friends. I have to stay alone in a hotel room. If I don't have any company I usually stay put in the room alone and go to office and back. I tend to miss my family and friends and the safe comfort feeling of my country and my people. I fear the fact that if I use the local transport, I may not know how to get back and may get lost. So in a new city, if I don't have company, I will travel from the hotel to the places of interest by cab even if it is expensive. I will try to see the places but end up spending more money than if I would have just taken the great local transport system.

I write this as I sit at the Hong Kong airport waiting for my flight to get back home to Bangalore. And I did exactly that. Last time I was here, I saw the Victoria Peak and the Symphony of Lights but went everywhere by cab as I was alone. This time I visited the Temple Street Night Market and that too all thanks to my friend Eunice Lim who had also come for the same meeting from Singapore. If she was not there, I would have stayed put in the room.

I envy my Dad who is able to roam the city all alone using the local transport and experiment all by himself. For me the grass is greener on the other side and I enjoy a family travel more than a business travel at any time.

But at the same time, I still want to do new places and experience new things.

What a dichotomy!