Business Travel as a New Dad

My job has taken me many places. I mean this in the literal not figurative sense. When I first took the job I went immediately to a little place called Rossano Italy for 6 weeks. I have since been back there 6 or 8 times with the longest stay being 7 weeks. When I got the job I was single. I felt like some sort of adventurous traveller. I was seeing the world not in a dirty, touristy, tour bus kind of way but in a much more sophisticated manner. I was interacting with the locals like someone from the travel channel or someone from an exciting adventure movie. At times it even felt like I was living abroad. It was all very exciting for someone in their early twenties. Since I have been with the company I have visit Italy, France, Germany, Hungary, Thailand, Malaysia, and Costa Rica.

Check out some of the pictures from my travels. I know I am not in any of these pictures but I took everyone of them myself. I guess I was always scared if I asked someone to take my picture they would run off with my camera like that guy did to Clark W. Griswold in European vacation.

Church remains after WWII bombing (Hamburg, Germany)

Buddhist Cave Temple (Ipoh, Malaysia)


Petronas Twin Towers (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

Pattaya Beach, Thailand

Trevi Fountain (Rome, Italy)

The Colosseum (Rome, Italy)

St. Leonard Cathedral (St. Leonard de Noblat, France)

Playa del Coco, Costa Rica

Hotel balcony view of the Gulf of Taranto in the Ionian Sea (Rossono, Italy)

Everything changed when I got married. Travelling as a newlywed is extremely difficult. Instead of viewing myself like Indiana Jones in the streets of an exotic land I was now viewing myself like a dead beat husband. My wife was at home very upset and I was helplessly unable to do anything about it.

Now things have changed again. I have a son that I can't imagine being away from for a day much less 2-3 weeks which is my typical travel time. We have just sold a project in Scotland so I will be visiting there in the summer. I have alwasy wanted to visit Scotland. I have never visited any of the UK unless you count a bus ride from London Gatwick to London Heathrow as a visit to England. This trip to a fascinating English speaking country is great for my career as well . Yet all I can think about is the misery of leaving my family at home. I know plenty of people make a living travelling every day and they have happy families but that is just not me. Business travel as a dad will be a daunting task. I am going to Scotland but they might as well be sending me to the gallows because I will feel dead anyway.