Plan ahead!
This is the most important part of traveling. What is that famous saying, "If you fail to plan you plan to fail"? That saying has a nice ring to it, and is true. Here are some of my tips for traveling
- Internet search such as google and yelp are your friends for finding restaurants and grocery stores. Use these tools to search and find restaurants that cater towards grass fed beef, free range chicken, from scratch cooking. Also you can find whole foods, trader joes, small markets, or farmers markets.
- Hit up the local butcher and buy some quality beef jerky. In Chicago we are lucky to have Paulina Meat Market and Gene's. Also, don't forget about ordering dried meat online.
- Pick a hotel that has a Fridge. I will leave the benefits to the reader as an exercise.
- Pick a hotel that has hot breakfast such as eggs, bacon, and sausage. Most hotels have some sort of breakfast, and for the lucky business travelers that ask nicely, most are complimentary.
- Ask for a King size bed. Put this preference in your hotel awards program preferences, and enjoy the size and power of a king size bed.
- Bring an empty water bottle. Airports and most modern offices, unless you are working in a sweat shop, have water coolers and/or water fountains. It is important to stay hydrated when traveling. This allows frequent bathroom breaks to excuse one self from tedious meetings.
- Do not bring nuts. I know this might sound blasphemous, but nuts are calorie dense and I feel folks eat too many nuts during the day, especially at work. Nuts are only allowed if you are trying to bulk up and add weight.
- When on the road use your per diem, unless you are working in a sweat shop, most business give their employees a per diem on the road. Use this wisely and find good steak or seafood places. Again, yelp, google, and local folks are your friends with information.
- Avoid working late. I used to fall into the following trap while on the road: "I don't have anything else to do, so I might as well work". Bullshit, go exploring, network, or rent hotel porn. I find that if I work late my stress is high and I get tempted by Dole's candy basket or any other junk food that happens to be at work.
- Avoid eating at the airport. Plan your flights around times when you are not going to be hungry. If you have a flight that is long, during eating hours, or delayed then fall back to your dried meats. Bonus: Use said dried meats to make a mile high friend!
- Avoid airplanes, well you can't really do this. But, the worst part of traveling is the airport and flight. Relax, bring a book, or a Nintendo DS to pass the time. So many variables are out of our control that the variables haunt Stephen Hawking to such a point he can float in the air!
