Just back from a 2 weeks business trip in Germany and France.
This has got to be the most tiring business trip ever for me. Previously, I’ve gone on 3 weeks and even close to 4 weeks business trip (with almost different city and different hotels every night) and I was fine. BUT, this round was crazy. I could feel like my whole body was draining and wilting away.
On the last few days, I come to the conclusion that it is mainly the results of 2 factors.
1) I am really unfit and unhealthy. Been doing almost ZERO exercise since the wedding. ;p
2) The amount of trust placed on my shoulder is so much I feel so tense with responsibility that I wasn’t able to relax.
Seriously, I think it was more of the latter (close to 80% of the reason)
This round, I was paired to go on the business trip with a colleague who had never travel much and is someone whom I have never worked together with. So, it was very much of a discovery and get-to-know-you session almost every night after the meetings and train rides / flights. She’s a meek quiet and gentle person. It wasreally nice to travel with someone who can remain silent for a long time (when you are stuck in the meeting and talking for hours – you want to stop talking after that).
She trusted me entirely for the whole trip since I am more experienced in handling european clients and travelling around Germany and France. But, I would never guess such trust can be such a big responsibility. She carries no mobilephone or watch during the WHOLE trip. It was one thing which shocked me since business trips usually means really tight time management. She relies solely on me to let her know when to wake up, when to eat, when to sleep, when to pack, when to ran and etc. (sadly – we almost miss our train when I accidently forgot to set my alarm). But, even then, she continues to place her trust in me. Scary eh? It got to a point that I started nagging her on every little things, making sure she’s always one step behind me and not running off by herself.
It was then I realised that the more the person trust you, the more responsible you feel for the person. Sometimes, such responsibility is so huge that it become a bit suffocating.
I guess it’s abit like the relationship between a child and parent. when we are younger and don’t know anything, we trust our parents on everything (Even when they tell us things like to sit quietly in the car (during long trip) or the police will catch up and lock us up in jail – yes, my parents are evil). Over the next 15 years or so (less and less nowadays), we rely heavily on our parents, trusting them blindly on everything. I can just imagine the weight of this burden and now begin to understand why mom yells at me when I get home a tad late or if we forgot to call to let her know we are not coming back straight after school.
I have only resume the responsibility for 2 weeks which might be only a slight fraction of what parents undergo and already I was turning into a naggy maniac. I shudder to think how I would be if I became a mom myself.
So, mom – thanks for everything you have done for us. (even the nagging and yelling and forcing us to do things which we don’t want to)
Little Chulet's World 