Should you follow him on a business trip?

I don’t have a clear answer to this but I will talk about what to expect if you do tag along with your corporate warrior.

When your partner invites you, it is with all good intentions and he’s likely to be a multi-tasking fiend — business and pleasure all rolled into one.

But, in reality, it’s not possible to spend much time together because he would most probably be working long hours. If you are going to tag along, know that you will be a solo tourist. I blogged about my first and only time I followed the kangaroo on business here — I enjoyed it because I had not been to Seoul or Beijing before but I had a few revelations.

It can be more expensive than you think.
If money is not a problem, you won’t find this point relevant. Unless you can fly on frequent flyer points, being plus one adds up with one more air ticket, room upgrades, and all the expenses you incur while you travel.

For me, it seemed like a “small” getaway, but at the end of the day, it came up to the cost of a full-blown trip. Remember that on business travel, he won’t be staying in some shabby hotel so any additional costs like laundry or an extra breakfast, or room service will be significant. Yes, we were on a long trip so laundry was necessary. Ouch.

He will be tired and stressed.
We thought it would be romantic to be together on a trip. New city, new sights… but the truth was, he was up to his eyeballs in work, meetings, and calls. The kangaroo could not help but be less than enthused for conversation or even dining out. I got the feeling that if I weren’t there, he would order a pizza and work and eat at the same time. I definitely don’t blame him because if I were in his shoes, I would be overwhelmed by this juggling act, too.

We had our evening meal in the hotel almost every night, after which, he would bury himself under more work and calls while I surfed cable TV channels. Rising at the crack of dawn was also common, which helped me get my ass going, too, on a positive note.

I still liked being around him and it’s sort of like that when we are at home, but I’m just saying, it’s not going to be a relaxed, holiday experience for two.

You may have to entertain his clients.
If the kangaroo asks me out to dinner with his business associates, I would say yes but I will be prepared for it not to be 100% “fun”. In such situations, you need to sparkle when spoken to or keep quiet when expected (usually during intense discussions about their business).

Instead of feeling like just an extra on stage, you could “help out” by suggesting restaurants and cocktail bars you will be interested to check out — well, this would only apply if your partner were the organizer. For example, the kangaroo had to entertain a potential client from Hong Kong in Seoul, so it’s quite possible you could lend a hand in some way.

Learning a few local phrases will help show an appreciation for their culture and your travel tales will come in handy when more light-hearted conversation returns to the table.

You will only like it if you love travelling solo.
Give me a Lonely Planet and I’ll be all set. I would advise reading ahead of time so that you can make your trip more enjoyable. The kangaroo encouraged me to visit the DMZ in Seoul and that needed prior booking so I’m glad I did as I was intrigued by what I saw.

I can imagine if you are not one to be alone in a foreign city everyday for a week or two, this type of trip can be less exciting or appealing. Perhaps you could use this as a way to get out of your shell and bring stories back to your partner. There’s always the gym and sauna to rub away any trying days on the road, and also take heart that he will be free on the weekend to play tourist with you.

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To me, following the kangaroo on his business trip beat staying in Tokyo going to Japanese lessons everyday. It’s not an easy time when you are cast adrift between jobs, so if you can grab any opportunity to shake things up, I would encourage you to do so.

Photo: mainemomma2007

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