Well, I have now completed my first official business trip. When I use the term business trip, I am specifically referring to an occasion when the company asks you to travel on their behalf and covers a portion of your expenses while being eligible for reimbursement for other expenses.
Since I am supervising people in both Los Angeles and San Francisco, I figured my first business trip of this nature to would be to California. Instead, my first business trip was to New York.
I traveled from Boston to New York by Amtrak on Monday. This proved to be a busy day as it was Patriot's Day in Massachusetts and thus Marathon Monday and morning baseball at Fenway Park. It was the first time I've taken Amtrak in over 25 years. The last time I took Amtrak was a round trip between Montreal and New York in January 2000 prior to moving to this country.
Boston's South Station is dirty, rundown and has a serious homeless problem but you can find a place to seat. By contrast, Penn Station's newly christened Moynihan Station is clean, but the only seats are in the restaurants. I'm sure the intent is to discourage vagrancy. But when you're slogging around luggage it is nice to have a place to sit.
All things considered, I'm glad New York was my first business trip as I would be in familiar surroundings. I could stay with Dad instead of in a hotel and could walk to work as I did when I worked in the city from September 2018 to the first COVID shutdown in March 2020. To quote the late Yogi Berra, "It was déja vu all over again." Although instead of going to the Chrysler Building, I took a somewhat leisurely walk down 8th Avenue to the New York Times Building although the building itself is for all intents and purposes New York Times in name only.
The main reason I was sent to New York is because the law firm to which I am contracted is moving offices late next year. This gave me an opportunity to view the office firsthand and get an idea of what needs to be done on our end over the next 18 months or so. It also gave me an opportunity to get face time with my New York colleagues - Dewayne and Stefania. While we talk regularly during Team Meetings, you don't truly get to know someone until you have met them in person and spent some quality time with them. I am glad that this came to pass. I'm especially glad that I had a chance to buy them both lunch and talk on a more social basis. I'm also glad I will be able to claim the lunch as an expense.
The journey, however, began ominously. The plan was for my immediate supervisor, who is based in Washington, D.C., to also join this trip. Unfortunately, shortly after her arrival in New York, she had a medical emergency and needed to go the hospital. I won't go into specifics other than to say that things have taken a turn for a better. However, at this point, we are taking things day to day. Nevertheless, it was too close for comfort.
Last night, after a full day of work, I met Dad in Bryant Park on a warm April day where temperatures reached nearly 80 degrees. It was an ideal night for an outdoor dinner before walking back to the Upper West Side. There are times when Dad tells me I should be doing this or looking into that. Not this time. He saw something different and told me, "I think you've turned a corner." He actually told me this several times. I was delighted to hear it each time he told me.
The best is hopefully yet to come. I suspect I will be coming down to New York again during the course of the office move.
However, my next scheduled business trip will be as far removed from New York as you can get. In mid-June, I will be going to a conference at our company headquarters in Wheeling, West Virginia. I have never been to West Virginia. We will be going to Wheeling via a flight to Pittsburgh. I have never been to Pennsylvania either. A new journey awaits.
In the meantime, I am back at home and am equally looking forward to going back to the office and continue to pivot as my corner turns.
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