I Travel, Therefore I Am

My work takes me travelling. Period. And, since it does, I enjoy travelling as much as I enjoy other components of my work: the meetings, the power points, the nerve-wracking deadlines, and the smile on the face of a satisfied stakeholder. Yes, travelling does happen for pleasure as well, mostly with the family. But the bulk of the travel is #biztravel. And, I spend considerable time and effort to ensure that it remains pleasurable and invigorating. Here’s what I do to make it meaningful.

Travel with a purpose: Yes, I know that most #biztravel is preceded by a note stating the reason for travel is conference/meeting/review/training/et al. That’s the reason. But, if you are putting in the effort to travel - packing meticulously, checking in at the airport, taking a long-haul flight, suffering hotel food – then put your finger on a purpose for such travel, a superorder calling for the travel. I see my travel as a means to get closer to my customer – internal and external. In the age of Skype and Video-calls, the good old fashioned face to face still works magic. It lets me smell the earth, sense what’s in the air. My travels, especially in the social development sector have taken me to deep rural areas to witness little girls pick up their first book in a girls’ education project (yes, those little girls were my customers!). To tsunami ravaged sea-side towns now dependent on temporary shelters put up by development agencies. Also, to scenic resorts to celebrate teams and their accomplishments. Each journey has been an education, my connection to my work and the people I work with: customers, fellow-employees, underprivileged-communities, experts. I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Travel to make a difference: You have a choice. You can go through your travel as if nothing is a miracle or as if everything is, to take liberties with Einstein’s insightful quote on how we can go through life. I treat my travel as a privilege as another writer in this series has pointed out. And, since it is, I am keen to contribute. I pack in as much activity as I can when I travel. Contribution can take several forms. Be fully present at meetings, absorb the knowledge that comes your way in trainings, speak and question at conferences, add to the knowledge of others at reviews and seek appropriate decisions in conclaves, to mention some of the ways we can contribute. Your travels must enrich you and others.

Travel with an eye on pleasure: All travel leads to new horizons. A powerful quote from Confucius reads, “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” Make space in your heart to discover the place you are travelling to. I do. If I get time off from business, I explore the sights, shop at the local bazaars, sup at the street-side diner. I absorb flavors of the place I am in, smile at the locals. It is energizing. I have been fortunate to work in some great organizations that do not look askance at the family accompanying one on a business meeting/workshop trip, especially if it is a long one. My family has traveled the road with me too. And, I cherish the time we spent on the road. And, sometimes, your business encounters are such an epiphany that you hardly need to go out looking elsewhere, like my sight of the girls in the education project taking their first, small steps towards an empowered life.

My travels have made me what I am. And, I continue to send myself and my team members on travel whenever I can. We have all evolved as we have traveled. Of such stuff is the magic of business travel made. May you have more of it in your life!

Endquote: “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page”

- Saint Augustine