Jet Setter Reveals All

I'm off to Ohio for a couple of hectic days of business travel. If you're not a business traveler you may have this romanticized idea of what time "on the road" is really like. I know there are several around my office that believe those of us who travel on the company dime are living the good life out on the road. Allow me to dispel some business travel myths.

Myth #1: We, business travelers are living it up, spending big money on fancy meals.
Truth #1: I do eat at some nice restaurants while I'm traveling. However, it's not really pleasurable to have a list of talking points that you must cover while you dine and 99% of the time, I'm eating with people I don't really like. You can try this at home... tonight, go out to eat and ask to be seated with someone you don't know. Then talk to them about their office budget all the while pretending to be thoroughly entertained by their wit and their wisdom.

Myth #2: We pamper ourselves in fancy hotels.
Truth #2: Equating a Courtyard by Marriott with an actual Marriott is like equating a Geo Metro with a Cadillac Escalade because after all, Cadillac and Geo are both GM brand automobiles. I get a special thrill when I find out my hotel has high speed internet so that I don't spend half the night responding to email after one of those magnificent business dinners I mentioned in #1.

Myth #3: We are jet setting (does anyone use this term anymore?) around the country, seeing all the beautiful sights.
Truth #3: While it's true that I've taken several trips that allowed me the opportunity to spend an hour or two enjoying the scenery, most often I go straight from the airport, which is a lot like WalMart with a lot more tension, to someone's office building, which is a lot like WalMart with an elevator. Mostly the only sights I see are the highway signs and the occasional ghetto when I miss an exit and have to circle back to the highway.

There may be people out there who do business in Maui and the Sonoma Valley. I've been to San Francisco and I've been to Denver... those were pretty cool. But I've also been to Des Moines, Kansas City, Winston-Salem, Atlanta, Houston... not exactly glamorous... and don't forget Las Vegas, which is a lot like a WalMart with a liquor license.