Travel @ 500+mph

 

As an IT consultant most Sundays are spent on an airplane going 500+mph while at 39,000 feet for several hours. I can’t say it’s a bad life, but missing church and time with my family can take a toll on you and your loved ones. Sure it has its perks… Earning airline and hotel points/miles sure does make for great getaways with the wife and/or the whole family at a low expense. The other part to mention while on the road is that all of your meals are expensed to the company. Now keep in mind I am not eating lobster and steak every meal, but usually at least one day out of the week is sushi or steak. It all balances out at the end of the week though. A couple of the days you eat cheap to keep your expenses low and save for that rewarding meal! The most challenging part of travel for me is the time zone changes. I live in California, which places me on PST and traveling to a client on EST is extremely hard on the brain and body. My travel days typically start @ 9am PST and arrive at my final destination @ 11pm EST, but in reality my brain and body think its 8pm PST. By the time you hit the pillow and fall asleep its 1am EST and you need to get up at 6am EST, which is 3am PST… Hope I explained that clearly lol. Overall by the end of the week your body has adjusted to the local time and now its time to head back home and the time game starts all over again. Last piece of food for thought… Each time I board the “tube” we call an airplane I can’t help but think is this my time. Some of these airplanes have been flying for well over 10+ years and I know everything is logged, but really do I trust the error prone humans with my life. I guess the short answer is yes because I keep boarding. Consulting isn’t for everyone, but if you like travel, constant project change and the ability to work with some great people you need to come join!
-Daren