Business Tripping With the Boss
With this foray across Macedonia added to our sojourn to Lebanon, I’ve now business tripped twice with my boss, Tarek. And I have to say I like traveling with him. He’s a very relaxed yet organized traveler. He’s flown enough to have his routine down, he gives me space to do my own thing, and maybe best of all, we don’t sit near each other on long flights.
But it’s more than that, for Tarek is amazing to watch in-country. While I may seem to meet people everywhere and make friends easy, I am still junior varsity compared with his professional social skills. He makes connections, business connections, with a practiced skill.
In meetings with local people, be they Lebanese lawyers telling dirty jokes, Macedonians offering ouzo toasts at 10am, or clueless Americans trying to bluff, Tarek never looses his cool. He’s precise, diplomatic, professional. And I love watching him work.
Read MoreHow Many Shoes Do you Travel With?
As you already know, I never check my bags. I even go to great lengths to outfox baggage Nazis. Because I refuse to check my luggage, I pack light, very light. In fact, I only pack a carry on bag, no matter the length of the trip.
My view is that after a week’s worth of clothes, which is essentially three full outfits that can be mixed and matched to make seven, you can always wash it all and start the next week fresh. So there is no need to pack more if you’re on a longer trip.
But I am not a woman, and more importantly, I am not my co-worker Sue.
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