Getting ready and stressing out
As everyone around my house knows, I am getting ready for the first trip for my new employer. Starting a new job is never easy, meeting all the new people on the first day, trying to remember names and faces, just not wanting to screw up. Throw into the mix that your first day is going to be 18 hours on an airplane to South Africa with two of your new colleagues, and the stress factor somehow seems to multiply!
I really did not start the whole stress thing until Monday. Then I realized, hey, I just quit my old job and I’m going to South Africa in 5 days. And I don’t have a clue what I should take, or what was expected of me. After a few calls to the office I was a little more reassured, and then I went into what my better half calls “travel mode”. Travel mode is when I start to let the preparations for my upcoming trip creep into my thoughts more and more. I try not to let it interfere with my day to day home life, but it does. There are still a lot of “honey do’s” left, and trying to get those done as well as to prepare for my trip sometimes transfers a little of my stress over to my better half.
What suitcase should I take? (bought a new one.) Should I take all my gadgets, or leave some home? (leaving most of them home.) Should I pack for warm weather, or cold weather? (This one is easy, since I will be working in food plants, it will always be pack for cold, even if the weather is going to be hot.)
All of these questions will get easier to answer with each trip, as I get used to the new job. I am going to try and write about my experiences with my new work, and I hope you will go along with me as I start this new adventure.
I’m so very glad you’re going to blog about your travels. This is the very thing YOU encouraged ME to do when we hit the road in 2003! We all miss you when you are gone and this is such a great way to keep in touch, especially, now when you can link your blog to Facebook and Twitter. Good traveling!
Great idea, Tom. I’ll be looking forward to your posts. I’m sure you’ll do well in the new job. It occurs to me that, as far as traveling experience, you’re not a newbe. This should help getting acclimatized to the new company.