Deviating from my Japan trip last year, I wanted to share with all of you the struggles of travelling for work from Mondays to Thursdays, and even sometimes Sundays and Fridays. Don’t get me wrong, there are great moments like: traveling to nice metropolis, eating different types of cuisine, and interact with different people. But there are also not so good moments, when travelling is not very favorable. In this post, I want shed light on the life of a Consultant, specifically through my travels in upstate New York.
Albany, New York
New York! Everyone loves New York… that is if it’s New York City. But what if you were to travel to upstate New York? There are no direct flights, and your layovers are miles west or south to your final destination. Yes, that’s right… after 2-5 hours of layover and 2 flights on tiny airplanes (sometimes even with propellers), I travel to a city called Albany, the capital of New York State.
Walking towards the terminal at the airport, it does make me wonder why does a capital city look so….. quiet.
After being here for a handful of times, I still think this place is kind of quiet. It maybe that or because I’m working the long hours, sometimes up to 18 hours a day, to really appreciate this city. The food at lunch is amazing though, I think that’s a win for sure after the long hours, I definitely need some brain food.
Although, outside my hotel from downtown Albany I do see historical buildings, and some contemporary sculpture/building. Still I don’t think there is not much around here that is unique or as great as the Big Apple. Below are a couple of shots of early morning and late evenings in downtown Albany.
Buffalo, New York
Closer to home… Buffalo. I guess for a lot of people in Toronto, they usually go to Buffalo because there’s an outlet there. While I do appreciate the shorter travel time to this city, again, it’s not as populous and vibrant as New York City. Hotel options are also limited, but I did find a gem in this city with SPG! The Reikart House – a Tribute Portfolio Hotel was by far the best find here. So much better than some other hotels where I found garbage still lying around in my room when I checked in.
There are also some decent food around Buffalo, plus the new Whole Foods that just open in Buffalo is a win for those who want to eat ‘healthy’. And then there are cooler attractions compared to Albany. I get to see Niagara Falls at a close distance in the fidget cold temperatures were the mist formed ice pellets on my winter coat. Maybe next time I can see the frozen falls, if I have time to venture to the Canada side.
New York, New York
Some times, I do get lucky, like that time when I got to travel to New York a couple of times. Hotel is not comparable to the one in Buffalo, but the food will suffice. Besides, there just so much more to do at night: visiting Times Square at night,
skating by Rockefeller Center;
enjoying a great view with great company;
eating amazing food with colleagues;
and if you wake up early enough before all the calls happen, running outside was a good idea:
All in all, it does get lonely sometimes traveling as a consultant to such remote places. You rack up all these hotel points and get status, the hotel ends up upgrading you to bigger rooms, but you get these four empty walls all to yourself. The amount of work you do also outweighs the life you want to enjoy; nine to five is definitely a myth if you want to succeed. While weekends are mostly spent on recharging and recuperating from long travel days, but to compensate on the lonely travel times, you usually forfeit the sleep and hang out with friends. And the cycle repeats. It’s not as easy as it sounds, and while it sounds pretty cool to travel all the time, it does come at a cost.
