Thursday, January 01, 2009

My Travels in 2008



I could get all sentimental and philosophic about mental, emotional, and spiritual travels in 2008, but how dull is that?  Instead, I'll recap the physical traveling I did last year...if I can remember all of it.  And yes, I drove all this.

Detroit, Michigan--I think this was early March.  Each year I have my field trainer conference in either Ann Arbor or Michigan.  I specifically remember this trip for the hellacious time I had driving back in the blizzard that hit the mid-west.  It was a terrifying and tense trip home.  And I got a speeding ticket about 90 miles from Dallas.  States covered include Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, and Michigan.

Orlando, Florida--This would be the first of two trips to Orlando and occurred the week after my trip to Detroit.    I was facilitating a training session for Managers.  It was a good drive there and back, and the hotel was nice, though we didn't get to see any of the actual city.  States covered include Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.

Orlando, Florida--Back again a few weeks later, at the end of April, for the company spring GM conference.  Again, we didn't get to see the city, but we stayed in the Peabody and it was lovely.

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida--Just two weeks after that I drove to Ft. Lauderdale to hop on a cruise ship.  I had just been diagnosed with pneumonia 3 days before leaving and was in bad shape, but I'll be damned if I was going to miss that cruise.  After all, it was a completely free trip...a company sales contest prize.  

Cozumel, Mexico
Belize--These were the ports of call on the cruise.  I sunbathed and swam and snorkeled, in order, at these locations.

Bar Harbor, Maine--Six weeks later, I traveled through Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee,Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine during a trip to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park.

St. Louis--The first week of November I traveled to St. Louis to facilitate another training session.  States covered include Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri.

All together, I believe that is 21 states, 3 countries, one ocean, and one gulf traveled this year.  I have no idea how many miles that is...certainly not as many as someone who travels for work each week, but more than I've ever traveled before in one year.

I'm sure there are lessons I learned along the way, and wisdom I gained through the travels, but really, no one wants to read about that, do they?

Where did your travels take you in 2008?


8 comments:

UrbanStarGazer said...

I think Ann Arbor IS in Michigan.

I didn't do much travelling this year. One trip to Texas -- Dallas, San Antonio and Houston. San Antonio was my fave of the three cities. And one trip to Los Angeles for business -- yuck, probably my least favorite city on the planet.

CatBoy said...

You already know where I went. Not much traveling for me, but I did see some good theater.

Jenny Robin said...

Oh, Urbie, you're right. I meant to say 'either Ann Arbor or Detroit'.

Martha said...

Looking back, I did more travelling than I thought I did. However, I flew for most of my trips, so I didn't see much along the way. I did get to go to a Red Sox game in Baltimore, though, which was cool.

Lessee... I went to Orlando, Florida; Chicago, Illinois; Newport News, Virginia; New Market and Baltimore, Maryland; and Bar Harbor, Maine. I also did several trips to NYC. I'm in New Hampshire at least every other week or so, but that doesn't really count.

Bert Bananas said...

Jenny Robin, I have a question for you: My between BA and grad school son is going back for his second interview at a Borders in Long Beach. Like me, he's very well read and personable, which is probably why he got called back.

Do you have any hints on what else they're looking for, or responses they like to hear?

Your assistance is kindly appreciated.

Jenny Robin said...

Sure. They will most likely ask questions that require him to talk about a time when he took initiative and completed a project, when he successfully helped a customer or a situation that was difficult, what he has done in the past to recommend books to friends or family....a wide variety of questions to gain information on what he has done in the past that could help him be successful in this job.

Also, going on a second interview is a really good sign. The GM usually does the second interview, and the first interviewer knows not to hand off an applicant to the GM unless they are top notch.

The applicants must also have excellent scheduling availability. Being available on both weekend days is the best, and all times of day and evening, too.

Best of luck to him.

Bert Bananas said...

Thank you, Jenny Robin. He's worked at the college library for four years and is way more well read than I was at his age.

Bert Bananas said...

Ms. Jenny Robin, my son thanks you for your valuable assistance. We came up with a line about him loving to work nights and weekends because that's when you meet the really interesting people. He says he delivered it with a completely straight face.

He felt it went fine and they said they'd let him no later than Monday.