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re: Question for those that travel a lot for work
Posted on 12/19/22 at 6:17 am to 12
Posted on 12/19/22 at 6:17 am to 12
I was way more attentive to the family when I traveled. I compensated hard to make up for the times I was gone. Even now that I don't travel as much, when I do and come home, it's much sweeter. Build up some loyalty with an airline and a hotel brand and create new family travel opportunities. My family would not have gone to Europe as early as we did if I didn't have points and miles.
If you're a good husband and father normally, you'll be a good one as a work traveler.
The biggest negative is if you can't dictate and modify your travel schedule. I was able to curate mine such that I didn't miss important events. Not having that flexibility could be regrettable and should be a serious consideration.
If you're a good husband and father normally, you'll be a good one as a work traveler.
The biggest negative is if you can't dictate and modify your travel schedule. I was able to curate mine such that I didn't miss important events. Not having that flexibility could be regrettable and should be a serious consideration.
1
Posted on 12/19/22 at 7:06 am to 12
Don’t do it unless you have to, especially if you have young kids. You will miss very important things with your kids and your wife will be cracking anyone that will give her attention and lay down beside you like nothing is happening. That is a fact!!! And if anyone says “ oh.. my wife wouldn’t do that “ is kidding themselves.
Posted on 12/19/22 at 7:13 am to 12
I’m gone tues-Thursday every other week. I find that to be perfect balance with work and family
Posted on 12/19/22 at 7:13 am to 12
quote:
My question is for those of you that travel a lot and have families. Is it worth it to you? Do you feel like it works for you or do you have a lot of regrets?
When I was single, I loved traveling for work. In my mind, being married esp with kids, it’s not worth it. There wouldn’t be a price they could pay me to be gone that much.
Also, give any hobby you have up. After being gone all week, you’re not going to be able to just come home then leave the next day to get a round of golf in. Lol. Jody will be taking your spot in the foursome.
This post was edited on 12/19/22 at 7:41 am
Posted on 12/19/22 at 7:13 am to 12
My dad traveled a lot for work when I was a kid. I understood since it was what he had to do so we could go on vacation and live in a nice home. Didn’t bother us.
Posted on 12/19/22 at 7:21 am to 12
quote:
I have to decide if missing the time with my wife and kids is worth it in the long run.
Anyone with any sense is going to say it's not worth it. You have a very short window of time with your kids. You will never get the missed time back. I understand people getting opportunities at work that are not easy to pass on. But at that point you have to ask yourself if the money is more important than your kids. Is your current pay enough to keep them all happy? If so, pass on it and be with your family. There will always be opportunities later on when your kids aren't around. It may not be the same, or it may be better. BUT, you can't get missed time from your kids back.
Posted on 12/19/22 at 7:30 am to 12
I used to travel a ton for work and I loved it. I couldn’t believe someone was paying me to create my own journey out there on the road. The problem for me started when bad habits that I picked up on the road started to infiltrate my real life. Add in a family with small kids and it was time to go home. I don’t regret the travel but if I’m honest it should’ve ended a few years earlier than it did. I still miss it sometimes but overall I’m in a better place being home every night.
Posted on 12/19/22 at 7:36 am to Kracka
quote:
But at that point you have to ask yourself if the money is more important than your kids.
This is kind of an insane dichotomy if you've ever actually had to travel for work. Do y'all really see travel workers and think "well I guess he loves money more than his kids?"
Posted on 12/19/22 at 7:39 am to 12
It’s not what I prefer. However, it’s what the job is and it’s the best paying job I’ve had and supports my family. It’s rough when you’re on the road for long stretches. I have 4 kids and wife at home but they know and understand the sacrifices but I still would love to be more local.
Posted on 12/19/22 at 7:40 am to 12
I have a 13 and 10 year old, there’s no amount of money that could convince me to be away from home half the time
Posted on 12/19/22 at 7:42 am to 12
quote:
My question is for those of you that travel a lot and have families. Is it worth it to you? Do you feel like it works for you or do you have a lot of regrets?
Yes and no and I will explain below
quote:
I have an opportunity for a promotion. The plus side is that I will work from home and not work at an office anymore. The down side is that I will also be required to be on the road about half of the year.
This is damn near my exact situation. The job I am in now pays about 50% more than if I did not travel. That has allowed us to be way more flexible as a family - vacations, security, etc. I also get 100% flexibility when I am home, for example, I simply left "work" from 10-1300 last Wednesday to go to my kid's Christmas event at school.
I sacrifice a lot of time with them, but I try and capitalize on the time we have together. My old job was 6 weeks on the jobsite one week home and that was not conducive to have a happy family.
I won't sit here and say I am not lonely sitting in the same five hotels (I am a regional manager so I fly to the same 5 cities) but with facetime it is a little bit easier. My kids have only ever known this, so they are ok and we have a village to help raise them.
I am hoping to reduce my travel this year, but even if I travel the same amount, I usually plan well enough I do not miss the big ticket items. I am heading to MSY here in a few hours and won't fly back until Thursday.
Edited to add:
quote:
I spent about 90 nights in a hotel this year. That part sucks. It’s important to be home by Thursday night and NEVER leaving on a Sunday.
This - make some rules for yourself to sufficient. I won't travel on the weekend, and no work trip is more important than personal things. I am lucky in that I fly out every other Monday, and fly back that Wednesday night or Thursday afternoon.
This post was edited on 12/19/22 at 7:47 am
Posted on 12/19/22 at 7:44 am to 12
I’ve never seen no a promotion result in less stress.
Posted on 12/19/22 at 7:50 am to 12
quote:
I have to decide if missing the time with my wife and kids is worth it in the long run.
Most people that travel a lot are able to spend more quality time with family during downtime. Remembering that much of that time at home is not quality time, rather it is consumed with family being away (work and school, and soccer practice and gymnastics and whatever else they do) or just caught up in the daily routine of eating and going to their rooms for their own unwinding from the day (video games, book reading, homework, etc.). It also affords for some awesome trips with the family that would not otherwise be available because of points accumulated through rewards programs. Those trips are lifelong memories, unlike the Tuesday night baseball practice. However, children are only around for a little while. I suspect they will remember a parent that was gone a lot in Cheri childhood when they are at their therapist sessions later in life. . If you are questioning it now, it seems your heart is telling you no, even if your mind is telling you yes. I am a logical thinker when making these decisions that listens to my mind WAY too much, which is a character flaw I try to work on. Those that listen to their heart are generally happier.
Posted on 12/19/22 at 7:54 am to 12
I used to travel a lot for my job(s). I generally don't like to travel, particularly fly, so that just added to my stress levels.
Your situation seems more complex. I don't think you will know whether or not it is worth it until you do it for awhile. Travel half the time? Sounds like my idea of hell. If you love travelling, then it might make sense for you.
And spending time with family, remotely, is as easy as it has ever been.
Your situation seems more complex. I don't think you will know whether or not it is worth it until you do it for awhile. Travel half the time? Sounds like my idea of hell. If you love travelling, then it might make sense for you.
And spending time with family, remotely, is as easy as it has ever been.
Posted on 12/19/22 at 7:55 am to TheDeathValley
Fir me it was my spouse. She is great, but not one that loves being solo. She is a stress cadet.
And I have found the best times w family are mostly unplanned. When they asked me to travel it was less money, more bull crap, less flexibility and more crap to worry about out of my direct control.
But I hate hotels, air travel and doing chores on weekends. I like to knock out my stuff on Thursday and Friday then relax.
And I have found the best times w family are mostly unplanned. When they asked me to travel it was less money, more bull crap, less flexibility and more crap to worry about out of my direct control.
But I hate hotels, air travel and doing chores on weekends. I like to knock out my stuff on Thursday and Friday then relax.
Posted on 12/19/22 at 7:58 am to tigerfoot
quote:
I’ve never seen a promotion result in less stress.
This would make for an interesting topic. Everyone needs to settle into their ideal spot. Sometimes a promotion to the optimal tier might generate a good sort of stress. Positive stress improves an individual and an organization. Being stuck in a lower tier with lower pay and lacking the ability to make meaningful change/progress/improvement is an example of a scenario where that promotion might improve the situation of both the worker and the organization.
Posted on 12/19/22 at 7:58 am to 12
Find a good hooker in each town you travel to.
Posted on 12/19/22 at 8:02 am to 12
I used to travel a lot for business, domestically and internationally. In my experience, domestic travel is one of the more miserable experiences a human can have. Being on the road sucks for the most part. Time away from the family is the worst. Bonding with your children rarely happens in 'big' moments. Instead, it's the mundane stuff that you do every day: picking them up from school, making their breakfast, lunch, watching a show with them, etc, where your bonds are formed. I missed some of that and you never get that time back.
Posted on 12/19/22 at 8:09 am to 12
The full answer here is it depends.
When I went to a 50% travel job it was about getting to another role that would not travel as much. That worked out. So the travel was temporary.
Also, depends upon the ages of your kids. You’ll miss stuff and it’s hard on you and your family.
Finally, depending upon the age of your kids and does your wife work. Just getting the kids to school while you are gone will be a hassle for her, which means you have to try and figure out solutions.
If your kids are in HS and college and they drive, totally different ballgame.
When I went to a 50% travel job it was about getting to another role that would not travel as much. That worked out. So the travel was temporary.
Also, depends upon the ages of your kids. You’ll miss stuff and it’s hard on you and your family.
Finally, depending upon the age of your kids and does your wife work. Just getting the kids to school while you are gone will be a hassle for her, which means you have to try and figure out solutions.
If your kids are in HS and college and they drive, totally different ballgame.
Posted on 12/19/22 at 8:10 am to GRTiger
quote:
The biggest negative is if you can't dictate and modify your travel schedule.
This is huge. There’s a huge difference in being asked to travel out on a Sunday night and return on a Friday morning and traveling out on a Monday morning and returning on a Thursday afternoon.
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