My job requires me to travel a lot—too much for my taste, honestly. Whenever I mention this to friends, almost all of them tell me how exciting it must be to have a job like mine.
Guess what? It isn't that fun. Let’s break down the pros and cons.
The Pros:
- Getting to discover new places
- Tasting different local dishes
- Experiencing distinct cultures firsthand
- Meeting excellent people and making good friends along the way
The Cons:
- Once the novelty of a city wears off, repeat visits lose their charm
- Endless hours cramped in planes
- Countless hours killing time in airports
- Living out of hotels and rentals, waking up disoriented in the dark wondering which city you're even in
Then comes the absolute worst part: hundreds of hours spent away from the people you love most. Weekends spent in hotel rooms instead of at home. Missing birthdays, milestones, and ordinary moments that you can never get back.
One day you look up and realize the kids have grown, and you weren't there for half of it. They eventually adapt to your absence, but you never quite adapt to the lingering guilt of not having been there.
So next time you talk to someone who travels constantly for work, don't envy them, and please don't tell them how lucky they are. It’s not a vacation, I can assure you.