I just wrapped up a 5-day trip back to Minnesota, flying in Wednesday afternoon and flying out Sunday morning.1More or less. Our original flight was scheduled for 11, but ended up being delayed a little more than an hour. It’s the first trip of less than a week I’ve taken in over two years, and these shorter trips have their benefits.
Nearly every trip I took after moving to San Diego spanned a long weekend.2The only exception I can think of is Christmas, which usually lasted around two weeks. Short-term remote work was allowed, but it wasn’t always convenient to make use of that option. Between that and trying to use my time off to maximize the total number of trips I took, long trips were the exception. I got used to a whirlwind of events, planning everything out to the hour so I could see everyone I wanted each time I came home. It was stressful, but I got pretty good at it.
Once the pandemic came around, decisions around travel changed. I made a road trip to Minnesota and stayed for 3 months. I would take weekend trips to visit Erin in San Francisco during fall 2020, but that was driving as well. Those eventually turned into staying in San Francisco for nearly 3 months, after which we moved in together. During 2021, our trips home were at least a week. I drove home again in the fall, then we stayed for over a month during the winter. Suddenly, these long trips where we saw everyone multiple times became normal.
Having experienced both trip lengths now, I’ve come to appreciate what they each have to offer. Long trips are great if you have time to prepare, and an understanding of where you will stay. Confirming my working environment and transportation situation are the most important things for me in that case. Short trips are best when there is a specific goal in mind, communicated to those affected by it. This allows you to pick and choose plans in a way that don’t overwhelm you, and provide a checkpoint for the trip.3Our main goal for this most recent trip was a catering tasting for the wedding. An additional benefit was seeing my older sister’s new house.
This aligns with my goal of being more intentional with my actions. A trip is a type of project, and tends to take over any other projects I may be working on. I want its purpose to be clear, and make sure I’m making the most of it.
- 1More or less. Our original flight was scheduled for 11, but ended up being delayed a little more than an hour.
- 2The only exception I can think of is Christmas, which usually lasted around two weeks.
- 3Our main goal for this most recent trip was a catering tasting for the wedding. An additional benefit was seeing my older sister’s new house.