Preparing to Travel
Here we go again. At lunchtime today I will walk to the local railway station and begin a journey first towards Kings Cross in London, and then on to Leeds in the north of England. I’ve done this journey before. Many times. It takes about 5 hours door to door.
I will stay in the usual hotel that serves rubber scrambled egg for free, and return tomorrow evening after dark. I will see nothing of the city I am visiting, other than the trudge from the railway station to the hotel and back.
I’m trying to bat emails away this morning while charging the Amazon tablet, downloading movies onto it, and figuring out how little I can get away with taking in my bag. I’m only on-site for one day. I’m figuring just clean underwear, a shirt, and a washbag should suffice. I must remember to go and pick up “Generation X” from my bedside table. I’ve been meaning to read it for ages.
It’s funny really – I used to look forward to travelling with work. It was different – exciting – new. Now I just see it as something to endure. I always stress over arriving at a client site, and worry about anything and everything. Things usuallyturn out fine, but it doesn’t stop me obsessing over everything. Maybe I need to start caring a bit less – I sure as hell know that project managers don’t give a shit other than about their idiotic gantt charts.
Of course today can’t remain simple either – I have to somehow deliver my eldest daughter to school for a single lesson (long story that I won’t go into here) before calling home to check on Miss 11 who is off school “sick” (notice the quote marks), and then to the railway station.
One foot in front of the other. One foot in front of the other. Keep going. One foot in front of the other…