Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/187632
•pg_13-27__BMT_pg3-58 9/25/13 1:07 AM Page 13 CONFESSIONS OF A HOSPITALITY ROAD WARRIOR BY MICHAEL BENNETT I sit here today writing this story, I'm three days away from trips to Miami, Trinidad and Tobago, Kansas City, home for three days for a family reunion, followed by trips to San Diego, Cincinnati, Washington DC and Virginia. That's 45 of 60 days getting in touch with my inner "road warrior." As travel, tourism and hospitality professionals, this aspect of life comes with the territory. But, I must admit, this much travel is a bit troubling, and I have it better than most, as you'll see below. Forget sleeping in a different bed every few days, dealing with the constant flight delays and airport security, or trying to run a business from the back seat of a cab. I'm a person of routine. When I'm at home, I awake at 5am, drink a couple of cups of coffee, eat a banana and protein bar, and read the news and emails. By 6:30am, I'm in the gym five days a week doing a combination of cardio exercises and weight training. By As 8:30am, I'm making a quick breakfast before heading off to work. I typically work 10 to 12 hours a day, which does not include evening social activities that come with working in travel and tourism or running a business. By now, you're probably asking yourself, when do you have time for family. I'm fortunate; unlike many of you reading this story, I'm single. My son is now 25-years-old and living on his own. But I vividly I felt sorry for my ex-wife. She not only had to tolerate my continued absence from home, but also had to compete with my son for attention and an exhausted husband, who just wanted to rest both body and mind. My struggle to stay connected to family made me feel like one of those flawed characters on an HBO or Showtime drama. You know the characters I'm talking about – your body is physically at home, but your mind is someplace. "road warrior" remember the days of marriage and my struggle to juggle quality time with my son and his school activities, help with homework, or coach one of the many sports teams he played on. While working in the entertainment industry, I was almost fired from a job for refusing a business trip because I wanted to spend time with my family after being gone for three weeks. A dear meeting planner friend of mine confided in me that clearing her weekend schedule to spend time with her husband, daughter and granddaughter was so important to her, it was worth refusing potential business opportunities. For her it was a quality of life issue that added much needed balance to her life. A lesson I learned the hard way after the fact. Despite it all, my son and I are so close he likes to spend as much time with me as his girlfriend (hope she doesn't read this.) Technology has definitely helped. My son is one of the few Millennials who refrains from social media, yet he will text me several times a day or call when he wants to talk. Skype has become our best friend. But I, like many of you hate paying $10 to $15 a day for Internet access that many hotels charge or bury in resort fees, so I constantly seek properties with free wifi or hotspots like coffee shops and airports where I can communicate. I even went so far as to purchase a Mifi through my cell phone carrier to avoid Wifi charges. Today, travelers have many communication tools at their disposal. These are just the ones that work for me. Eating healthy is a huge challenge. In our industry, it's never about getting enough food, it's usually being presented with too many food and beverage choices. The next thing you know, you've consumed enough calories in one meal for an entire day – then its time for B M & T ••• September/October 2013 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 13