Travels with Sil

Here I am in another airport, which, if I calculate it correctly, by the end of this trip on Wednesday, will make nineteen airport visits in one month (and two days).

NY LGA
Denver
Aspen

Aspen
Denver
NY LGA

NY LGA
Miami
Grand Cayman

Grand Cayman
Charlotte
Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.
NY LGA

NY LGA
Denver
Hayden – Steamboat Springs
Denver
NY LGA

Good thing the Denver airport has free Wi-Fi, that is if you can find a place to sit quietly and use it among the throngs of travelers lost in the massive, circus tent-like structure with the trams that transport you from terminal to terminal packed as tight as the New York City downtown 6 train during the morning rush hour.

I know I’ve been slacking on the blogging (slacking = nonexistent for about one month and six days or so, and I’ve apologized profusely to Suze. (**Here’s an editor’s note for you – this blog post began on Sunday, July 13th and will now finish, not quite as done as it could be, tonight on Sunday, July 20th.) Think the editor’s note is quite an adept illustration of my life in current days…

The blogging slowdown was mostly affected by my travel-for-work escapades, capped off by a fabulously relaxing, no technology allowed beach weekend with Suze, but then, almost as soon as I was back in the big city, I was gone again, off to Colorado for a week of exasperatingly hard meetings. I have a very cool job. Very cool. We work a lot but we play, too, and most excitingly, we travel to incredible places. Whether it’s a five-star hotel or a ski resort from the Caribbean to the mountains, I’ll almost always come back from a work trip having a funny story or a bruise from snowboarding or lungs full of fresh air or a tan, and for all the hours put in being “on-call” in a crisis situation or crafting an incredible media event or magazine placement, it is worth it. This week, for example, consisted of visiting three resorts in Colorado for our familiarization trips there to meet the new clients and learn what makes them all unique, and no, familiarization is not in quotes. It really is integral in our business, which usually does make for fun.

But sometimes, like this week, it is just plain hard with non-stop meetings from 8am-midnight, with zero BlackBerry breaks. I kid you not. The horror. Not to mention having to prove to new clients at each place following long drives between resorts and why you 1. really are great, 2. really do do kick ass work, and 3. really are not all that young. Well, yes, in years you may be especially since, at 24, you’re the youngest of the bunch by far and you do exude a healthy youthful glow, but hell, you give a damn good “this is why we rock” presentation. (Editor’s note #2 – this part was clearly written this evening following the week o’meetings and making “good use of time” – the new client’s catch phrase, and kissing the ground when I arrived back at LaGuardia.)

So, that’s why they call it “work.”

Following this week I definitely needed a real weekend and a slight break from the laptop, and jeez, a stiff shot of gin or something. As Suze knows, I typically stay far from the drink that tastes like Christmas trees. I’ll take my tree decorated with twinkle lights and sparkly balls (the ornament kind) not in my libations to shake off a tough week, thank you.

So, in the interim, and because I don’t have any gin in the apartment, I needed to provide myself a slight reprieve and at least offer up a good excuse for my falling off. I know we have one faithful reader (she knows who she is and makes a mean glass of sangria of which I am feeling the effects tonight as I finish this up). And so this post was born, if for no one else, but me, her, and my adventurous, blogging partner in crime.

Here’s the other reason for the blogging slowdown…and I’ve been struggling with whether or not I was ready to open up to the blog – or to all of its three readers. Often times the best writing comes when you’re sad or mad or overly introspective and pensive – and I must say some of my best blogging here on Traipsing Through Cherry Blossoms came just then – during the month I had all of these crazy, strange unfamiliar feelings welled up inside of me and the way I choose to deal with it – having as many exciting NYC adventures as possible, with Suze, and when not with her, living vicariously through her (even the paintballing!) When we weren’t shaking the cherry blossoms off the trees or ferrying it up to Staten Island Yankees games or biking through traffic or turning coffee, day-old cookies and an upper east side discovery walk into a highlighted weekend event, May was a month for me and my laptop. And my laptop and this blog took the sadness I was feeling, especially at bedtime, and turned it into something (somewhat) soothing and occasionally, just a bit humorous.

The sadness started to drift away in June and now in July, things are as anti-sad as they could be in that realm…however, that does not give me an excuse for not writing as we move into the dog days of summer. There are a few adventures upcoming, and only one work trip on the docket for August, which as luck would have it takes me to the homeland - Boston!

I even have the next blog all set and crafting in the mind has begun: A bit about Mamma Mia! Also known as Dancing Queen or Gimme, Gimme, Gimme a Man After Midnight. OR Sil plans a (non-work) trip to Greece…