A few days ago I was reflecting on how much travel I have done for business recently. I consulted my calendar and, yup, I went on six different business trips in the space of eight weeks. Once it was one travel day, one day of work, and one travel day back, for a total of three days. On another trip it was a full five day week including travel. At least once I returned home late Friday night and was back at the airport on Monday morning. Home was just a place to do laundry during this time.
In that eight weeks, I went to:
Iowa, Sacramento, Philadelphia, Vermont, Baltimore, and Rhode Island.
That doesn’t count the more personal trip from Iowa to Wisconsin by car for more personal reasons. Nor does it count the trips to Little Rock, San Bernardino, 10 days in the state of Washington, Vermont again, San Diego (yeah, it’s 45 minutes away, but I still stayed in a hotel for a conference), Connecticut, and Iowa again that all took place earlier in the year.
That’s fourteen business trips in 2025. I know there are people who travel for work more than I do, but that’s still a lot.
But here’s the thing: I love it. It 100% beats being in the office. Even when I have to hop into an Uber at 5 am. Even when I can’t sleep because I’m three time zones from home but still have to get up early local time to teach a class. Even when I have to carry boxes of equipment to and from offices and homes. Even when I have to wait for an Uber outside of terminal one of the San Diego airport at midnight.
It’s the people. As you may know, the people I meet and spend time with on these trips are either people with intellectual/developmental disabilities, or those who support them as their job. Interesting people? Yes. Kind and welcoming? Yes and yes. I love spending time with them, learning from them, laughing with them, and trying my best to help make their lives and jobs better.
One more thing. I’m a travel pro now. I have tips and I have tricks. I have dos and don’ts. But I think I’ll save all that for another entry.
Bonus: the photo is the best pizza I have ever had. Frank Pepe’s in New Haven.