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Life on the Road: Looking for tips and tricks
By Christine Martell | October 17, 2007
I’ve been speaking at a series of conferences lately, and have been spending a lot of time on airplanes and in hotels. At the end of one earlier this week in Atlanta, I had a free evening before flying home the next day. I stopped into the Body Shop since one of the things I notice on the road is my skin gets incredibly dry. I mentioned to the young woman who helped me that I was tired from traveling a lot, and she shared with me that she had a dream of being a trainer someday.
I had a moment of wondering if I should tell her the reality of life on the road. I just couldn’t bear dashing the spark of excitement in her eye, so I told her about ASTD and suggested she contact the Atlanta chapter.
But it got me thinking about what could make this travel stuff less grueling.
Wisdom from down under
You may remember if you have been reading this blog for a while, that I participate in a better blog community . I’ve met a group of Aussie edubloggers. Wise group they are, and in the last weeks they too have been traveling to conferences a lot and have been talking about tips.
Kate Foy has written a great post Packing for a Conference and Other Wiley Tricks . One of the simplest tips she offers is to put the packing list in the suitcase so you can use it when re-packing on the other end. Just why have I been leaving those home?
Eating the Right Food for You
I’m gluten intolerant. So basically allergic to grains other than rice, corn, and oatmeal. Conference food is a bit of a nightmare for me. Bagel and muffin breakfasts. Sandwich and cookie lunches. Not to mention airplane snack boxes. The schedules are often so tight it makes it really hard to go anywhere else. And often there are programs and networking during meals. Just to fit in and make it easy, I would just eat the stuff anyway. And then I would feel awful later.
Now, I am preparing better. I fill my carry on bag with fruits and packets of protein powder I can mix with orange juice. Turkey jerky. Bags of nuts. I find protein will get me through, and give me the energy I need to get through the days. It’s what my body needs for performance. Each one of us is different. Eating better makes a huge difference for me, as does making sure I drink enough water.
Airport Food
As the airplane food has gotten worse, the airport food has seemed a little better. I even got brown rice with chicken and vegetables in Denver recently. Here are some posts I found on where to eat in airports.
- Eating on the Fly: A survey of airport food by Frommers
- Eating on the Fly: Best to Go Food in Western Airports by AAA
- Airport Food Takes Off by Fortune Magazine
Flying Tips
Coming on the podcast on Friday, I ask our infamous co-host Aaron Munter about being productive on an airplane. You have to hear what he has to say.
What else helps you survive on the road? Any and all tips welcome. I have two more trips in the next two weeks, so I’ll have the opportunity to do some tip testing.
Other posts on similar topics- Gaming & Simulations conference
- Free Rice for ASTD Employee Learning Week
- We have ASTD-Cascadia Rock Stars!
- Podcascadia- How the podcast is created
- Meeting and Event Planning
Topics: Training Tips |
October 18th, 2007 at 5:42 pm
Yes, eating health on the road can be hard, but it can happen!
I worked as a “road warrior” trainer a few years back, living in small towns in the midwest for 2 weeks at a time with 1 week respites in-between. Before I headed out of town, I would ensure that my hotel rooms would have a fridge and microwave. Then, I would research the nearest natural food stores to the city I was flying into. I would head to a grocer when I landed, buy a styro cooler and a few generic staples like tuna fish, then head to the natural food store for my produce, crackers, cheese, a few eggs, salsa, etc. I got very creative in making my own meals in the hotel room. Salads, pita sammies, “nuked” potatoes with cheese, broccoli and salsa, wraps of different sorts, soup and bread, are a few examples of my menu options.
I carried (and still do) a Britta sports bottle with a filter at the top. (No more tossing the plastic into the trash!) I had purchased Starbucks coffee pods (usually sold to hotels) online to ensure decent coffee - I am from Seattle -, and kept a small backpacking-sized kit with flatware, a microwavable tupperware, a few basic spices, a swiss army knife (with can opener), a small vile of dishsoap, etc.
After being “on” all day all I wanted was down time, so the meditation of making a little meal and the added benefit of some alone time was an added icing to my healthy, home-made “cake”.
October 19th, 2007 at 11:40 am
Great suggestions, thanks Mary. I’ll be expanding my road survival kit based on your ideas. It also made me realize I should carry my GPS with me for resource information. I usually think about it only when I am driving.