Travel & change...

Molly:

Because of traveling I've changed how I organize my weekends. Since I have limited time at home, I have to prioritize my time even more. For instance, when I am home I have to take care of the chores that most people would spread out through the week. Also, I have limited belongings on the road, which leaves my other hobbies (scrapbooking, tennis, etc.) to the weekends. In addition, I second guess travel for leisure sometimes (because it also takes up my weekend, my time at home). The weekends on the road also are slightly different. Since I'm limited to a suitcase, I often find myself without a sweatshirt or something that I -might- have packed had I been at home.

MJ:

Lifestyle. Ever since, I began life as a consultant I used to find myself working and playing hard during the week. I used have to have a stronger will power to rest when I clearly need it when I was in school. After life as a consultant, I started to notice that when I get back home for the weekend, I am always tired. I sleep a lot. My friends claim I have 'grown up' because they do not see me go crazy. However, I realized that I need to get some balance back in order to sustain my career and proceed to excel in it. I consciously find myself trying to leave social gatherings at a reasonable hour. The old me would have shut the place down but I have slowly started to realize the importance of a fresh mind and a well rested body when at work. I also realize how much I miss indulging with my friends and boyfriend over the weekends.

Rachel:

I enjoy cooking. Specifically, I love using my wok to whip up a healthy and tasty dinner that includes lots of vegetables served on rice or noodles. A couple of years ago, I joined a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) where each week I received a half-bushel of locally grown vegetables. These vegetables varied depending on the time of year and I learned new recipes in order to use the vegetables. In fact, I was so excited about the vegetables, that I encouraged several friends to join the CSA as well. We would pick up our vegetables each week and swap our least favorite veggies. A half-bushel is a surprising amount of vegetables and I would cook at least 3 to 4 evenings per week.

Then I started traveling. I could only cook on the weekends due to my travel schedule and there was no way I was able to cook and consume all the vegetables in 2 or 3 days. For a while, I ate airport food, fast food and hotel food – hamburgers, pasta and other relatively (and very) unhealthy food. I gained 10-15 pounds within 3 months - a not uncommon occurrence for many business travelers (http://www.mailman.columbia.edu/academic-departments/epidemiology/research-service/travelers-alert-business-travel-linked-obesity-an). I decided to make a concerted effort to eat as healthily as possible. I ate salads and turkey sandwiches (but still allotted myself the daily cookie) in addition to fish whenever possible. I eventually lost the initial weight that I had put on with traveling. However, I still miss receiving and cooking a bunch of assorted (and often unusual) vegetables each week.

Toni:

Where to begin - I could honestly write pages on this topic. One of the things I had to change was how I care for my son while I'm away. Not just the logistics of who's picking him up from daycare and feeding him but also making sure we stay connected. That he hears my voice everyday and I can see and hear him as well. My husband and I have our little strategies to help everybody stay connected. He calls me every morning so I can say good and every night, he also takes a picture of him everyday for me. Now I have a photo record of him for the last four months which is amazing.