How do you pick a topic for your “first” official blog?? This one was easy once I thought about it.
There will be longer blogs (and pictures!) forthcoming on some of the topics included below . . . in the meantime I have been asked numerous times “How do you do it???” I also notice the lack of women business travelers who board with me in my “Zone”. For so many reasons, there are less of us out there than there are men.
So for the above reasons I have collected my top 10 recommendations for TravelerMamas and Travelerfriends.
You CAN do it. Here’s how.
#1 - Use your resources. Not everyone has the financial resources to pay for extra help. However, for those you can fit into your budget – do it.
· Have someone clean your house. Mine comes every week, perhaps you could do every other or once per month.
· Use Peapod. I don’t use this too regularly (I’m a loyal Woodmans girl). However, for those weeks when I have a crazy schedule, extra travel, less time on the weekend, etc. I use it. I also used Peapod during the first few weeks of my maternity leave . . . . yes it cost more however having someone bring my groceries to me was invaluable.
· Use your family/friends/neighbors. For those weeks when your spouse/partner has meetings, parent teacher conferences, social events, etc. ask for help. Don’t be shy about this and don’t be afraid to ask. The saying is “It takes a village” . . .
#2 - A former colleague and manager gave me this advice when I first entered “the industry”. It is some of the most valuable advice I have receiving for traveling. Find those brands which work best for you and use them as often as you can. Period. Those who know me know that I am a loyal United, Marriott, and National girl. I also frequently use Southwest and Hilton. Having “status” makes all the difference in the world, which you probably already know if you are a fellow road-warrior. Getting home earlier/faster/quicker, having access to the concierge lounge, boarding the plane before everyone else, and racking up points/miles to redeem for personal use are probably the top benefits I have found. This topic alone deserves its own blog . . . so I’ll say it once and you’ll hear me say it again. Get your FF# . . . and use it.
#3 - It is very easy to spend “special time” with your kiddos when you are home on the weekends or after long work trips. Don’t forget to find time to spend alone with your spouse/partner. That is just as important . . . but is the first to slide when you have a crazy household with kiddos. Create time to do fun things together . . . even if that means something as simple as ice-cream & Big Bang Theory reruns once the kiddos are asleep.
#4 - Have a close relationship with your planner and To-Do lists. I recognize not everyone is as Type A as me, or makes as many lists as those members of the Stenger family, but this is crucial to making your life easier.
· Plan out your meals for the week. I usually make meals which will have leftovers while I am home, which minimizes the amount my spouse has to cook while I am gone. Not that he doesn’t enjoy cooking, but that is one extra thing he doesn’t have to worry about in the middle of working full-time and taking care of a toddler. Always have your Grocery List in the works in your notebook.
· If you don’t make To-Do lists at the start of a week, at least look at your planner our Outlook calendar. This helps me fill in the little things I need to do throughout the week. Which days are best for the errands you have to do? Which weeks do you have a free night vs. which weeks is your schedule crazy? Which day would be best for the grocery store/Target? Looking ahead helps you fill all of these in.
· Put reminders in your planner and/or Outlook. This seems a bit extreme . . . . however it helps make sure I don’t miss things. And makes my life a million times easier. The days when the garbage is picked up are written in my planner. I have an Outlook reminder to make my kiddo a pediatrician appointment. Etc. Etc. Try it. It helps.
#5 – This may seem almost counter-intuitive to #4 . . . but is equally as important. Find some Flexibility within your expectations and life. You can be as organized and Type-A as you want . . . but there will be times your house is a mess, the dishes aren’t done, you miss social events because your flight was cancelled, you missed your workout because of travel . . . whatever it is . . . if you expect perfection you will crack. I used to immediately attack the dishes, cleaning, mess, laundry, etc. when I returned home from a work trip . . . which results in a clean house but a stressful household. At the end of the day . . . focus on what’s most important and try to readjust as you can your expectations. And priorities. This is a hard one, and for people like me it needs repeat attention.
#6 - Make your work travel work for you. This has been so important to myself and my personal life. This is a topic I will post more on forthcoming . . . along with pics.
· Do you have work conferences or meetings in a city where you have friends or family or have always wanted to see? Go a day early/stay a day late. Perhaps you could fly in earlier on your arrival day to work in dinner with an old friend. Or check out a sporting event or social event on your free night there. Work in things sometimes you wouldn’t have otherwise gotten to do.
· Check with your friends and colleagues on which conferences or meetings they are attending this year and match yours where possible. Connect with them while you are there for lunch, dinner, etc.
· Add personal time onto your trip so you can add some social time to it. I’ve been to numerous meetings in Las Vegas over the past several years . . . a super easy place to tack on a girls weekend or adult weekend away. I have also attended numerous work meetings in Orlando . . . a super easy place to tack on a family trip. Your employer probably doesn’t care which “date” your return flight is on so extend it when you can for something fun. Most conferences extend the conference “rate” on the beginning and end parts of the meeting for those individuals who come early or stay late. That being said, watch your employers rules regarding hotel stays . . . I know mine has rules about having others stay in your room during the actual dates of the meeting.
#7 - This is very, very, important. Let the guilt go. It is not “traditional” per se for the mama of the family to be on the road for work frequently. To be transparent I have received my share of criticism from others not just on being a working mom, but “being gone all the time.” I have been asked by working moms in general about duration of maternity time. My advice has always been, and will always be, you will know what is right for you. I knew when I was ready to go back to work. And not just “when”, but that I wanted to go back to work. The same general rule applies here. Only you know what makes you the best mama you can be. For some, that is working as a stay-at-home mama. For others, it is a mama who works full-time outside the home. For me, that is working full-time in a job that I like and having responsibilities outside the home. So I know that I am a better person in a job that I love, which requires me to travel, rather than in a job I dislike but which keeps me at home Monday-Friday each week. This requires a lot of discussion and support from your spouse . . . but if this is what works for you . . . do it.
#8 - At first this one may seem the same as #1 . . . but it is completely different and deserving of its own spot. Lean on your fellow road warrior(ettes). Through the 8 years I have traveled for work I have developed many friends and colleagues, some of which I still work with others who are now with other companies. I also have many other friends who travel for work . . . including my brother whom many of you know. Keep your lines of communication and discussions with these people open at all times. This includes things such as sharing of best practices or travel tips. But almost more importantly, it includes having an empathetic ear to vent to. There are things I can vent about which my former colleagues or my brother understand completely . . . . and will provide support or humor or a listening ear right back. This group of people is your “support group”. Use them.
#9 – Keep your personal routines while on the road. This is probably one of the more difficult ones to tackle. But makes a huge difference in how you feel and in your sense of normalcy. If you exercise at home . . . work it into your time away. If you eat healthy at home . . . work it into your time away. Do you have special weekly activities? Certain shows you watch each week? Keep those while you are on the road. This is another one which deserves at least one separate blog of its own, but the more you keep your normal “routine” . . . the better you feel and the easier it makes your time away.
#10 – Love what you do. Or it’s not worth it. Traveling for work with a spouse/partner/family at home is hard. Not going to sugarcoat that one so I will repeat it . . . it is hard. There are times it is hard for you and there are times it is hard for them. You need a very supportive spouse/partner. If at the end of the day you are not happy with your work . . . . it will make your life a million times harder. If YOU are happy . . . it will make your life a million times easier.
You CAN do it!
I love traveling or working mama questions! Reach out here at www.travelermama.blogspot.com or on Facebook at Travelermama. You can also find me on Twitter at #travelermama
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