If you get irked by travelling for work, you are not alone. But don’t let yourself get bogged down by the quotidian; savour a Valrhona chocolate–dipped doughnut or rave at 7am, says Veronica Stivala.
The antidote to combating that common affliction of being stressed is to go abroad. “Get away,” they say. “Find a cheap flight, pack your bags and spend a weekend far from it all. It will do you good.”
A great idea to be sure, but what if getting away is part of your job?
For some, hopping onto a plane is the portal to escapism, for others it is just another commute to work (and for the claustrophobics like me, it is the gateway to hell. But let’s not go there).
However, there is hope yet for those who travel for work. Here are some tips for making the most out of a work trip.
Stop and smell the roses
Very often the problem with travelling for work is that you are visiting the same city, checking into the same hotel and taking the same route to your meeting place. It veritably becomes an extended commute.
As much as we are creatures of habit, it is routine that can drive us into a rut. Even though a travelling travailleur does veritably find himself on new soil, he is so often dogged down by the beaten track that he fails to appreciate his surroundings.
Why not change your route? You are after all in a different country and can use your commute to discover new places. Get off at an earlier stop and walk the rest, or take the scenic route if you can; stroll through that park or walk along the seafront. Or why not take breakfast outside your hotel?
If you find yourself in California, head to Huckleberry, Santa Monica. Everything is made on site at this joint, which is famous for its maple-bacon biscuits, Valrhona chocolate–dipped doughnuts and egg sandwiches stuffed with bacon, cave-aged Gruyère and tangy aioli.
Rather than go to the gym or to yoga or sit around watching breakfast news, why not start your day with an invigorating dance experience?
Do not be a wallflower
Let’s be honest here. Travelling takes the wind out of your sails and after a day of meetings and appointments you often end up so spent, you find yourself scoffing down a doner kebab from that greasy kiosk on the corner, skipping that exhibition you wanted to see, and then dragging yourself back to your hotel. Boring.
To avoid this happening, plan some social events in advance so that it will be less easy for you to chicken out at the eleventh hour. Meet up with friends who live in the area, try a new restaurant together, go see an exhibition together.
From February 13 to May 25 the Seattle Art Museum is showing Mir The Experience of Seeing. People are generally more familiar with Miró’s magical paintings but here they stand along his sculptures, both pulling equal weight.
Be a sunflower…
and follow the sun… or at least the disco lights. Do something different. You’re away from your familiar surroundings and that means you don’t know the people around you and they don’t know you, so now’s your chance to wear that scout’s outfit you still fit into but which your wife says she will burn if she ever sees you wearing it. Or why not rave your way into the day.
London’s interestingly titled ‘Morning Glory: Rave your way into the day!’ is an immersive morning dance experience for those who dare to challenge morning culture and start their day in style.
Rather than go to the gym or to yoga or sit around watching breakfast news, why not start your day with an invigorating dance experience? This isn’t Zumba or aerobics; this is conscious clubbing at its very best.
Morning Glory attracts a diverse crowd of city workers, media folk, artists, dancers and anyone up for a damn good Wednesday. And they even serve first-class coffee, superfood smoothies and free wake-up massages to keep you grooving and moving. Doors, dancing and music are open from 6.30am to 10.30am.
The next event is on February 26: www.morningglorylondon.co.uk.
Use that stepping stone
Living on an island means we are somewhat restricted in our travel plans. Unless you find yourself on the Orkney Islands, for which I am sorry, you are quite probably in a better position to travel elsewhere. Take some leave and pair your work trip with a rewarding holiday.
Wind your way through the villages, beaches and mountains of Italy’s most scenic stretch of coastline, the Amalfi Coast ( http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/road-trips/amalfi-coast-italy-road-trip/ ) or discover the arts, foods, crafts and vistas that make the back roads of Provence, France, one of Europe’s most inspiring regions ( http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/road-trips/provence-france-road-trip/ ).