Think differently
Business travel does not have to be a drag. Remove resignation from your list of excuses. You can fulfill your work obligations and HAVE A GOOD TIME ALSO.
Click to Listen How to Cheat Business Travel Episode #66
Come prepared
- adventure clothes
- running/walking/hiking shoes
- Petzl headlamp -my favorite Tikkina (cheap, light, easy)
- light jacket (check out Patagonia’s Houdini)
- Gear every Road Warrior should carry
Get up early
Scout out an adventure. Order a UBER car. Go watch a sunset. Hike a trail. Walk a park.
Visit a Museum
While on business trips, I’ve visited:
- Westminster Abbey in London
- MoMA in NYC
- Chicago Museum of Science and Industry
- 9-11 Memorial and Museum NYC
Take a break from the meeting
More than once, I’ve walked the stairwell of a hotel/conference center to get in my steps for the day. Act like a Pro eight minutes at a time.
Skip dinner
Who says you have to go out to dinner every single night? Grab a chocolate milk, a Cliff Bar and a banana. You’re good to go for the whole evening.
Hire a guide
Here are a couple I’ve hired that I would recommend
Fly Fishing The Reel Life-Santa Fe, New Mexico guide service for the Pecos River
Surf Lessons Oahu Uncle Bryan’s Sunset Suratt Surf School-The North Shore Oahu, HI
Look up a meet up group in advance
Whatever you love, there are other people like you in every city across the globe. MeetUp is a great resource for finding your tribe (people like you) where every your traveling.
Call a friend in every city
Facebook, High School, College, Fraternity/Sorority, Social Media, your email pals. Risk saying “Hey anyone want to meet up while I’m in town?”.
Find a trail nearby
I promise you there is always a trail nearby. It won’t be marked. It won’t be on a map. But if you’ll walk outside and wander for a bit, there is always a trail, a park, an open-space, or a pathway to explore.
My favorite things I’ve done during business travel
- Taken a nap in the airport at Minute Suites (Read the blog)
- Toured Westminster Abbey while on a run
- Hiked Camelback Mountain at dawn before a 8:30 am meeting
- Rode a pink bike in Old Town Scottsdale that I checked out from The Saguaro Hotel
- Mountain biked Altoona, PA trails afterwork with a client. She loaned me her pink small frame Specialized Stump Jumper. It was humbling on many levels.
- Took a 7 am surfing lesson in Santa Cruz, CA from Richard Schmidt Surf School
- Trail run near the Phoenix, AZ airport and board my flight in stinky running clothes
- Worked out with Newport Coast Triathlon Team when in SoCal
- Hiked Iron Mountain in Park City and rode a Swiss Bob sled down by headlamp
- Ran along the ocean in Stanley Park Vancouver, B.C
- Fly fished the Little Juniata River in Altoona, PA
- Indoor Mountain biking @ Ray’s MTB in Cleveland, OH