I'm home!!

[stormkeeper_lovedoris]

Apparently I still have a lot to say about this experience. Well, of course I do; like I said before, it was my first plane trip in over 2 years, my first work trip in over 2 years, I'm an introverted homebody. So this convention, that my company calls Worldwide, is just a lot for me. And I need to be patient with myself. Where most coworkers seem to look forward to Worldwide, for me it really is kind of an ordeal. (I should add that, as always, I understand my problems are luxuries for most people on the planet). 

But I made it - survived the ordeal! Six days, having left the house Sunday at 5am and returned Friday (today) around 11:30am. (Okay, that's more like 5 days but it touched 6 different days.)

I'm so happy to be home! Neither flight was delayed, and having a mask on the entire airport and airplane time was not too bad. I'm unused to wearing a mask for longer than an hour or so at a time, but it was fine.

Pretty much all went well. My lesson this trip is to never drink lattes even if they are vegan and offered for free and even if I really need a boost right that moment. (Coffee is too strong for this stomach). I did a good job of not overpacking, but I never did use the bathing suit or dress I brought, but it was good to have them just in case. I didn't forget anything. 

I think I forgot to mention that the food was awesome. Worldwide supplies breakfast and lunch, and they were excellent. (They have different stations. One station was Asian themed, and I had rice, tofu, seaweed, veggies, etc. Another was Mexican themed, and I had beans, rice, mushrooms, salsa, and so on). For dinner, I used Doordash. The options were almost endless. Twice I used a vegan Thai restaurant, another time I had a veggie sandwich, another time falafel. The days of hoping the hotel or somewhere nearby has an edible pasta dish or can make a pizza without cheese are over.

I didn't sleep well on the final night. Thankfully it wasn't due to anxiety; I think it was really just being drained, being glad it's over, and being very eager to just get to the airport for my early flight. And more thankfully, other than that last night, I slept well during the trip. 

A bit about my history with Worldwide. The company has this event every 2 years, and I've been with the company since 1996. First 2 years I didn't go (they don't send everyone). My first one was in 2000. For some reason, I wasn't asked to go in '02. But I've been to every one since then, and of course we didn't have it in '20 due to COVID. So this is my 10th. I remember that first Worldwide in year 2000. I went to every evening event - team dinners, a show at Cirque du Solei, a trip to the amusement park. I remember having fun too. But pretty much since then, I've taken the approach of "work your booth shift, and when you're not at the booth, chill in your hotel room." Though I usually do ONE team dinner per trip.  I did call Laurie one evening this week, and it was nice to catch up with her.

RIP my cane though. I usually bring it on the plane with me, but this time I got the idea to check it. And...it never arrived. I had zero desire to get in a line and see what happened; I just wanted to get home. I decided that was worth the $30 to buy a new one. (Checking now though and it like the price has gone up - they appear to be more like $50 now. Too bad. I still think it was worth it to just get out of the airport and home).

And I gotta say again how nice my boss and team are. We texted today and the boss said DO NOT work today!! We are all ordered to rest. 

Comments

[nytshd3]

My feelings specifically about a dress and a swimsuit are that I would rather have them and not need them than wish I had brought them.

Really great that you had such great food options! Things sure have come a long way on that front. Wonder if the place where Poised for Success have gotten with the times! lol

I often have a hard time sleeping the final night, though I usually chalk it up to wanting to make sure I have everything packed, didn't forget anything, that I can get to the airport in plenty of time, etc.

What a bummer about your cane! Did they have your contact information on it? Maybe you'll get a call when/if it turns up.

Are the evening events the same now as they were back then? I can see enjoying a trip to cirque du solei and an amusement park! But I totally get it, when I go to the conference in California I usually go party for the early part of the evening and then let the younguns party all night. Last trip one of my colleagues was hoping to take a trip to Disneyland, and I was sorta interested but also didn't want to be there ALL day, plus she's a solid foot taller than me and I think trying to keep up would wear me out.

Very glad that your boss said to rest! tbh if I had just spent 6 days at a conference I wouldn't even consider working on Friday afternoon lol

Glad it wasn't too bad and you're safely home!

[stormkeeper_lovedoris]

Agreed, I'd rather have the dress and swimsuit and not use them than wish I had them. And as long as you have room in your suitcase, overpacking isn't a sin. :)

Ha, I wonder too about the place Poised uses! I know Poised got no budget, but man the Diplomat West feels like where my Grandma would've gone out for a fancy evening. :)

Good point - I bet lots of people don't sleep well on the final night. There's just something about being almost home and eager, and as you said, hoping you're all packed away and not leaving anything.

The evening events are pretty similar in that there is something *every* night. Here's what they had this year, starting with Sunday:
- Reception for the larger team that I'm on (Global Impact)
- Dinner hosted by the vendor/partners that my smaller team works with. (I was sad to miss this one. I work with these folks closely. But I didn't want to sit in a restaurant in Orlando without a mask)
- Dinner with a subset of Global Impact, which my team falls under
- Amusement park
- Concert

Some people, like my boss, go to each one. Incredible.

[megan_moonlight]

I'm glad you had a good trip, and yay for the day off!

The food options you had available sound amazing. Especially vegan Thai food. I should try that sometime.

Sorry about your cane though. That sucks. Is there a way to contact the airport about it?

[stormkeeper_lovedoris]

Yes, I gotta say the food was wonderful!

I thought about contacting the airport, but I don't want the headache - or the drive back out there, in case they do find it.

[rhoda_rants]

Glad you made it there and back safe!! I'm very sorry about your cane though. I see so many horror stories about lost/mishandled/broken mobility aids, especially wheelchairs, and while a cane sounds cheaper/easier to replace than some of them--good lord, we need a better system.

That is so many great options! I have been really into beans and rice whenever I get Mexican. And falafel is so tasty, I forget how tasty it is until I have it again. I tried to introduce it to my dad once, but I think it just kinda confused him. I think he was expecting it to be like a veggie meatball or something, and . . . no. It is very much not that.

I remember what you said last time about being the only one, or one of very few, still masked, and yep, that's pretty much how it is down here right now. Has been for months, honestly. (Weeks? This year, anyway. Time is still quite squishy and wibbly-wobbly.) It's frustrating, watching everyone else go back to "normal" as the numbers continue to climb, but what can you do?

Thanks for sharing about this trip though! I've been wanting to visit my brother, and the only way to do that (unless I drive for like two days) is by plane, so hearing what that experience was like is encouraging.

[stormkeeper_lovedoris]

I can see how falafel would be confusing if someone's never seen it before! The good really was good.

Glad hearing about my experience helped. Yeah, masking up from the moment you enter one airport till the moment you leave the other is a pain, but it was totally do-able. It really wasn't that bad at all.

[rhoda_rants]

Yeah, that doesn't sound bad at all! I wear a mask every day at work for eight hours, so it's not really much different.

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[stormkeeper_lovedoris]

Exactly. I think on my first day - Sunday - I had it on from 5am when i got into the car till about 4 or 5pm when I hit my hotel room. It was annoying but totally do-able. (Of course I did lift it a few times to eat and drink)