Traveling

Hello from Charlotte, North Carolina. I was really trying to stay off the Internet (for about, 3 minutes). I thought - why charge the client an extra $10 just so I can uh, check my email, which I've, well, which I'm on constantly. I mean, it's already 10:44, what could I possibly need to check my email for? And anyway - if I need to check it - like really really need to, well, there is always the blackberry. I've composed rather long emails and even posts on that thing.

I just needed to check in because my contact with people, that aren't work people, has been minimal today, and well, frankly, traveling takes a lot out of me. I don't really like it actually, though it is easier than when I first came into the program. I remember the first time I traveled in sobriety - it was for my previous job and I had been sober 2.5 months. It was really scary actually. Fortunately I got really sick and came home early. I used to really like to travel, now I just find it one giant temptation to contend with. I think it would be highly unusual to go out of town and not think about it and not be tempted. I actually am really noticing a difference though - the past few times. It used to really freak me out - it used to be terrifying. Now it's more like - well, there are things I would rather do, than go out of town with colleagues, but whatever, I'll be slightly emotionally hungover afterwards and glad to be home. That's about the extent of it.

Plus, when we travel for work, we only stay in really nice hotels - so that's a plus - though it's made me a bit of a hotel snob as my brother would call me. I don't like crappy hotels. I have to say - the Crowne Plaza in London was nice for $450 a night, and the Four Seasons in Houston actually was good too - I rather enjoyed eating my room service in the bathrobe and going to bed early while my colleagues got so drunk that half of them had to skip the meeting the next day. I like the bedspread to be white cotton and I prefer to walls to be painted rather than papered with some weird pastel old looking stuff. I feel a little guilty though - I could have stayed somewhere cheaper - but it doesn't seem to bother anyone else. So, I'm sitting here in the fluffy bathrobe, contemplating what to order to my room for breakfast. Do I just want cereal like I always eat at home, or this yummy looking breakfast flatbread thing?

I just hope I can sleep - cause sleeping in hotels is not my favorite thing. Though I do love this time zone - I definitely love the eastern time zone more than central. Anyway, guess what the first thing I did when I walked in the room was? Checked the mini bar - it was surprisingly locked. Usually it's not locked and I just peruse it - it's just one of those things - you just have to know what is in there. I would sit there and wonder - is it locked, what's in it? I just have to know, I can't explain it really. I think it actually makes it easier to just look. It takes the temptation away for some reason. The truth is, I don't even want any of what is in the mini-bar - it doesn't even sound good - but I just have to open it, or try, otherwise, I won't be able to stop thinking about it.

On to other things. My brother is moving back to the country which is exciting cause I can see my nephew more. We have a meeting tomorrow at the client here in Charlotte and then this project ends. I cannot wait - finally the stress relief I have been waiting for will be mine come Friday night at this time when I get home. Otherwise - a few things have happened lately that are on my mind and bothering me - but I can't blog about them - which means I have to send them in an email to a friend who is the dumping ground for all things in my head that cannot be posted on the Internet. So, I am going to move on to that and think about this time tomorrow.