My husband travels for work.
Some would say he travels a lot.
I would say he travels a bit.
Some months he can be away for 7 or more nights, other months he’s not away at all.
At the moment he has just spent the week flying to Germany (in BUSINESS CLASS) where he attended a work conference. In a CASTLE. Yes, in a castle. He will also fly home in BUSINESS CLASS.
I am very jealous of the business class thing. The luxury of laying in a fully reclining seat for 24 hours with no children to make demands of you, and someone else preparing, serving and cleaning up everything I eat and drink is my idea of heaven. I’d almost be happy to fly business class to Germany, get off the plane, turn around and do the same trip home. 48 hours of uninterrupted luxury. Ahhhhh….
So, yes, my husband travels for work and many friends comment that I must find it hard to have him away so much. He’s never had a job where he has knocked off at the same time every day, and I’m not sure how we’d travel as a couple if were to spend all of our time together. Sure the 4 continuous months he was away last year was a bit over the top, but usually I quite enjoy a few nights to myself, and here’s a few reasons why:
- I get the bed to myself. I can sleep like a starfish. I can snore, sniffle, cough and read to my heart’s content without disturbing anyone. I also have no-one else in the bed whose snoring, sniffling, coughing and reading may disturb me. I don’t have the ongoing fight over doona possession, nor do I have a random hand slapping me in the head during the night (this happened TWICE one night last week).
- Meals are simpler. Let’s face it, kids are happy to have the same meal served up every night, and whilst my kids are rather gourmet in their tastes they’ll happily chow down on chops and salad every night. This saves me time and money.
- Kids go to bed earlier. It’s not my husbands fault as he has to travel home from work on a
carparkfreeway, and we can never tell what time he’ll get home. Being a good dad he likes to see the Missies, which means dinner and then bedtime are later than they are when he’s not around. - I can be online as much as I please.
- I get the bed to myself. Or did I already mention that?
So, I’m completely fine, most of the time, with the travel that the OH does.
And for the most part he’s OK with the amount of travel he does, but it does get him down at times. The succession of flights, hotel rooms, conference facilities and business dinners wears thin, and he’d really rather be home in his gray QANTAS jarmies (that he got in BUSINESS CLASS) doing a jigsaw in front of the telly!
Estimated time of arrival 9.30 a.m.
Been up before the sun and now I’m tired before I even begin.
(Now you’re flying) I got so much work in front of me,
(Really flying) it stretches out far as the eye can see.
I can see.
Spend half my life in airports doing crosswords and attempting to sleep,
And when the bar is open then you’ll often find me warming a seat.
(Now you’re flying) I never find a place where I can stay
(Really flying) I’d rather be a thousand miles away.
Thousand miles away.– Hoodoo Gurus
Our Big Expat Adventure 