Business Trips

I am sitting in a hotel room right now in Seymour, Indiana. Drove almost 6 hours to get here for a 3 hour meeting and then heading back home tomorrow morning.

As I may have mentioned before I have had to make a career change. Not by choice but have been lucky enough to find a new job that is challenging and interesting.

One of the things I like about this job is the ability to go on a business trip. I just love saying those words. It sounds so grown up.

The first business trip I went on was quite a contrast to any trip I took as a teacher.

My manager and I drove together. (Just like teachers, trying to save gas)

We met with another person and had dinner.(Just like teachers, meeting with colleagues.)

We went to the hotel, checked in and my manager said, "OK, see you at 8 a.m.".(Not like teachers.)

What, it was only 7:00 in the evening. What was I going to do for the rest of the night? I got to my room and the first thing I did was call a friend of mine who is still teaching. I shared with her what just happened and she and I had a good laugh. This business world stuff sucks sometimes.

This is how the evening would have gone had I been with teachers.

Drive together, laugh, share classroom horror stories, family gripes, etc.

Check into the hotel, sharing a room because the school district can't afford each to have their own. Sometimes up to 5 in a room with a roll bed.

Find the nearest bar, have some drinks, dinner, etc.

Go back to the hotel, put on your jammies and decide who's room everyone will meet in to hang out.

So, anyway, I am alone in a hotel room, about to go buy a book so I can look pathetic at a restaurant while I eat and read. I still like saying I am on a business trip though, just minus the fun.

Friends

Friends. How many can we have in a lifetime and what do we do to keep them in our lives. As I have mentioned before I graduated in 1985 from Wayne Memorial High School with an awesome group of people.

Now I do admit, there are many people I do not remember their names but a lot I do. There are some people from high school that I cannot believe I have let our friendship fall by the wayside.

I just got home from the bar. Since joining Facebook I have enjoyed connecting with people I have not spoken to in years. A group of us decided to meet for some drinks. I was a little nervous about going. I do not look the same as I did in high school and as mentioned in an earlier blog, all those feelings of insecurity start coming out of hiding from the deepest part of my being.

But I had an absolutely awesome time. I miss these people so much. It is too bad our lives are filled with so much obligation that we do not have the time to really nurture these friendships.

I think too often in my life I have been so protective of revealing who I am that I have missed out on a lot. It is such a good feeling to just "let it all hang out". The older I get the more I realize how alike each member of the human species is. I truly do care about these people and wish I had not let so many years slip by.

Thanks friends, for loving me as I am.

Looking for time!

I have been sitting at the computer for the last hour reading blogs, updating my status on Facebook, reading people's walls, etc. The whole evening I have been complaining about how much I have to do and how overwhelmed I am. What the hell am I doing then?

Do you ever feel like things would be great if you could just have an evening with absolutely nothing to do except sit and read or watch tv? I feel that way a lot. But whenever I get an opportunity like that I totally waste it. Do I really want an evening like that or am I just looking for a reason to complain. I don't think I know how to relax.