Vacation preparation

Vacation preparations are so stressful!

When planning a vacation, first of all, it is helpful to know if you are driving or flying. When you don't know which mode of transportation you are taking, it greatly impacts your ability to properly pack.

If we're driving, well that involves a couple of suitcases, a beach umbrella, some duffle bags with beach toys, the car DVD player, some DVDs, snakcs, drinks, loads of activity books and car toys in a readily-accessible package.

If flying, then we're looking at getting everything into 3 suitcases with no beach umbrella and minimal carry-on bags.

So right now, as I think about our rapdily approaching end-of-summer vacation, I have to plan as though we're flying, with the ability to overflow into driving. But I'm fairly certain that we'll be driving, so I keep thinking I should plan to pack for the car.

And then I start thinking about what I'll have to do at work the week before vacation...including lining up back-ups for my email Out of Office, as well as lining up people to run the meetings I normally run.

But now let's think about home - I need to do my laundy, the kid's laundry, the entertainment pack (be it airplane or car!), get the dogs boarded, stop the newspaper .... UGH!

I'm totally going to need a vacation from my vacation.

The zen of business trips

I love traveling - business or pleasure, it doesn't matter. The zen of traveling excites me. No matter how stressful or rushed the packing and drive to the airport and run to the plane can be, once you are on that plane, there is nothing you can do about anything. You may be on the tarcam for 20 minutes or 2 hours. You just have to sit there and take it. (don't get me wrong, I don't like being stuck on the tarmac for 2 hours!). But it's a lesson in patience, and I enjoy that. I would like more comfortable seats and a little legroom... but I digress.

I'm getting ready for my next business trip on Sunday, returning on Wednesday. My poor husband has to entertain the 3-year-old all day Sunday, and manage the morning routine for three days. I can't figure out why I feel guilty about that. I never get annoyed or angry when he goes somewhere and I'm alone with the munchkin... is it mom guilt? wife guilt? I know I'll have to set out clothes for each day. I've ordered school lunches already, so he doesn't have to make lunch. There really isn't anything else that I can do... and knowing Jeff, he'll line up entertainment with the munchkin's best friend or one of his friends, so I know I needn't worry.

And in reality, I'm actually excited about having 3 nights where the little munchkin won't be waking me up in the middle of the night. And I'm going to a location near a beach, so I can get up early and take a walk by the waves. And it's a professional development and networking activity that I'm going to, so I know it's 3 days to focus on me and my career and things that make me happy professionally.

So I shouldn't worry, and I shouldn't fuss, and I should just focus on the 8 billion things I have to get done before my flight on Sunday... laundry, replenish makeup stash, order prescription refills,  get hair cut, pack suitcase... yeesh... that is the part I hate about business trips...

The business of boredom

Sometimes I get bored. Most days I have a really cool job. Most days my kid and husband are just awesome. Most days I realize that I do have it pretty good. House, job, car, husband, kid, dogs. Livin' the dream. But sometimes I get bored. I've always wanted my own business. I toy with actually running the business I already started. I toy with new business ideas. I toy with writing a book. I toy with writing magazine articles. Will I ever do any of my ideas? Hopefully. Not sure if I'm too lazy to try them, too scared to try them, too time-crunched to try them, or what, but mostly I just keep thinking of new ideas hoping one will really strike my fancy and I can go for it full-force.

The business I already have is my monster and ghost spray - www.mactospray.com - this one tugs at me the most, primarily because there is a garage full of bottles just on the other side of the wall in front of me. Should I actively pursue it, or just sell off the bottles to someone else who can?

Another business was this fun little Amazon webstore I started for travel toys and tools. Would be cool to have a store specifically for the travel needs of kids and families. Maybe a small storefront here where I live and a nice online business to actually bring in the income.

Perhaps I could start a consulting company - I seem to be business-savvy enough to assist small businesses with marketing plans and websites, or perhaps I could consult on event marketing or social media strategies. How does one get into consulting?

Perhaps I could start a resume service. I'm awesome at resumes - I love reading and writing them. That doesn't sound like a full-time salary replacement job, though.

Maybe I'll just go watch another episode of Weeds... now there's a business! Just kidding. :-)