I finally slept in my own bed last night after being away for 10 days, 3 cities, and stressful presentation in Portuguese. The trip to Campo Grande was peaceful although a bit sad for seeing Sofia grow more independent but otherwise it was a lovely semi-solo trip. The trip to São Paulo was super tiring. We had 3 days of full day training 9 to 5pm, and I had evening meetings on Monday and Wednesday which led to sleep deprived nights. Then I got to Teresina, super anxious for my presentation in Portuguese to a group of 200 officials. But I survived after all. Few realizations that I need to figure out before next work trip:
- Too much social time. This may be hard to fix if I have packed meetings. But the sensory over stimulation exhausts me. Solution? more meditation?!
- While I try to not schedule evening meetings/dinners, sometimes it’s inevitable. Bad sleep is almost guaranteed. Is there a way to lesson the “pain” other than mentally prepared for it?!
- Traveling coupled with stress led to GI distress. I feel heavy after eating out too much too often for too long. Solution? Prepare food myself. I did it for Campo grande as I stayed in an Airbnb. But for the other two cities, I had to rely on provided meals.
- Missing the family but didn’t call them enough. Packed schedule, girls activities, meant that we didn’t FaceTime everyday but rely on text for logistics. Solution? maybe I should call them before all the meetings start.
Yet, not all was bad. I did accomplish many things. I met new people. I learned new concepts. I managed to deliver a presentation in Portuguese and people seemed to understand what I was talking about based on their comments and questions. I made a pitch for a new project and got many interests.
Weekend plan
- Get a hair cut. I debated for a while to keep it long or cut it shoulder length to make washing easier. I am ready for a change.
- Make yummy food for the girls. While I travel, their food became simple, basic, boring. They are asking for new meals and I’d be happy to do so.
- Take Lizzy for a playdate after many attempts organizing it.
- Attend to a BBQ by a colleague on Sunday.
- Run the 10km race.
- Enjoy slowing down.
Our New Journey 