Business Travel

I'm feeling a little guilty this morning. I know Bryan took his current job because there was less travel and so that I could travel more, but every time I have a trip, I do feel quite bad for leaving him at home alone with the girls. This trip is a little worse than usual. Historically, I have made a concerted effort to minimize the amount of time I spent away from home. This included getting up at 4AM to catch the earliest flight to London, as well as getting the last flight or train home, only to encounter delays which got me home after midnight. For this trip, I decided it was worth a try to make my travel plans as relaxed as possible. In order to get 2 full days at the refinery (oh, btw, I'm in Cologne, Germany, again visiting one of our refineries), I left a day early on a mid-afternoon train and am now sitting in the train station lounge a day later getting the first train home (leaving at 8:48am). I chose a hotel within walking distance of the train station so I could get up leisurely this morning without worrying about getting a cab and hitting a traffic jam. I even stayed at the Hilton, which had a Fit & Well Center that offered massages (of which I got one last night.... first massage since we moved in January!). I made it a point to go to sleep early and get up as late as possible. I am well-rested and relaxed for once. And yet, I feel guilty about all of this! OK, so I don't really feel THAT guilty. I feel much guiltier when I take the girls into day care when they're sick. Besides, my trips aren't near as glamourous as the trips that Bryan took in his last job. I mean, I spend all day in a refinery. He got to spend the day in a cabana in Miami! I eat dinner alone in the hotel lobby bar. He ate 5-course meals with several colleagues and/or customers. The only big difference is that he traveled when we only had one kid! Now, he's outnumbered! Oh well, I guess we could always get an au pair!! We've talked about it, but just can't bring ourselves to have someone else living with us. Hopefully, the girls were good this week and they will not be too mad at me for leaving them with Daddy. I'm sure they had a wonderful time bonding. Now, it's back to reality and to being the best mom I can possibly be.