Just a one-night trip. . . . 4 Tips for Business with pleasure

A business trip offers a chance to get out of the office, network with new people and learn about different things. These experiences, which are already valuable, become priceless when combined with pleasure.

1. Packing. Packing always adds an element of angst—too little or too much! My friend, Heather, a seasoned business traveler, advised having a bag of “spare everything” ready to go at a moment’s notice. Traveling by car is so much easier than plane. None of those TSA requirements. But still, for one night, I planned to travel light. Everything should fit in a tiny carryon. But shoes and makeup left no room for clothes or books. The larger suitcase let me plan for 30-degree temperature shifts in the Florida weather but did not fit in the trunk of my Mustang.



2. Preparing. I was headed for a symposium concerning the Indian River Lagoon, a unique estuary on Florida’s coast. I did advance reading on the estuary itself, speaker credentials and abstracts. This meeting provided a chance to reconnect or network in a shared quest to find ways to convey scientific information to stakeholders so effective policies could be made.

3. Having fun. My conference was just south of one of my favorite beaches. And not surprisingly, my trip also coincided with an Argentine tango workshop.

4. Learning. The conference surpassed my expectations in terms of intensity, dialogue and new connections. Advanced prep helped. But many of my items I planned to pack never made it to the suitcase.

The follow up to the conference is as important as the meeting itself. The dialogue needs to continue. As for that bag of “spare everything,” well, I’ll be ready for the next trip!

I’d love to hear about your business travel experiences! And, if you have any packing advice. . . .

Dogs and la vie en France. . . .

“It is sometimes difficult to know who commands in a family—the husband, the wife, the mother-in-law, or the cook. But the dog is never mistaken.” --Marcel Pagnol, French writer known for his stories about Marseille.

Dogs are the sine qua non of French existence (in addition to champagne and chocolate). Some have pedigree, some are mixed breed, but all are happy, welcomed and loved. They jump to attention at a moment’s notice, show unconditional love and never complain. And the French love their dogs—the men might leave their wives in the car or at home while they stop at the café for a drink, but never their dogs.

We can’t say enough good things about our dogs, but cats are pretty cool too. What types of pets do you have?

Care Packages of sorts. . .

I took a Delta flight through many cities to get to Nice in late June. My suitcase contained three boxes of Cheez-Its (a special request), Crest whitening strips, Neosporin and coffee coolers—among the few items globalization has not brought to France—along with tango shoes and too many clothes.

It’s never a good sign to have your originating flight delayed. The two-hour time between connecting flights in Atlanta and Amsterdam ended in sprints to make boarding at the next gate. I arrived on time in Nice, but my bag arrived 24 hours later. . . .

The airline travel care package consisted of one large t-shirt and very few maintenance items. The only advantage to a delayed bag is that riding the number 250 bus to Juan-les-Pins was much easier. . . .