The vagaries of travel

I have spent much of the last year sitting in airports, on planes and in hotel rooms. When I mention it to friends and family, the first comment is nearly always along the lines of "oooh, how exciting". Well, newsflash, it's not. Travelling for business is tiring, boring and can seriously damage your longterm relationship. At one point I can safely say that I spent more time away than I did at home, and that includes weekends. Now my partner is incredibly supportive of my career and he did his best to be understanding when I left him at home alone for the majority of the time. However, I was the one who was less understanding. I felt disenfranchised. My home became a refuge that I longed for when I was away. The simple amenities that I take for granted became luxuries hovering just beyond my grasp.

When you travel a lot, you become adept at packing light or at least I have. That means relying on hotels for shampoo, conditioner and shower gel. I'm beginning to believe that shower gel is a European phenomenon. I've yet to find shower gel in an American hotel, even the ones that are owned by the French. Soap just isn't the same as a nice moisturising shower gel. Yet, Americans have flannels and I really like flannels. They scrub off the grime that feels like it is coating your skin after a long haul flight - sheer bliss. Flannels are a rarity in Europe. In Stockholm, at this one particular boutique hotel, they have the largest flannels I have ever seen and they are not made of flanneling. Instead they are like really posh serviettes. I feel like I should be draping it across my lap rather than rubbing it over my naked skin.

The other big think about travelling is planning for what you will do on the plane. There are 11 hours ahead of you, trapped in a very small space, unless you are lucky enough to be upgraded to business which doesn't happen as often you would like. There will be two meals, some of which will even be edible. But eating only takes up 30 minutes. So, 10 and a half hours to fill. Now that they have movies on demand on most flights, I can watch three films at 90-100 minutes each. Four films is really pushing it. Wow, only another 5 and half hours left. Having a laptop is a real life saver. I take DVDs or else pack my USB with television I've missed, what with all the travelling. One time, I watched 8 episodes of House, in a row, no breaks. Another time, it was 10 episodes of Heroes.

The two main items that have protected my sanity on planes are books and games. A good book can take up an entire flight. I'm a quick reader, always have been, and I like to stock up on scifi in the States where the catalogue is so huge compared to the UK. But, for me, the NDS and PSP are the best inventions of the last decade. This trip I took along Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga and whiled away a substantial proportion of the flight battling droids and collecting lots and lots and lots of bolts. Another time, I completed Puzzle Quest on the PSP - I love that game so much I've even bought it on XBLA, despite the fact it's exactly the same game. The NDS has great battery life and lasts for the entire 10 hours in the air. The PSP is less well endowed, but I have that cable that lets me plug it into my laptop. Once I connect that to the inchair power supply, I'm sorted.

The good news, for me if not for you gentle reader, is that I don't have to travel as much any more. I have spent the last three months resident in my beloved home and it's been terrific. My partner and I have reconnected, although I think he misses the cheap clothing I used to bring home.