A Day in the Life - Work Travel Edition

Hey hey! I have read so many ‘day in the life’ posts and always meant to do one - and decided this work trip presented a good opportunity to show what a day of travel is like. So here we go! This was a day in the life on Tuesday, November 8th when I was in NYC.

2am - I have to share that when I woke up to use the bathroom around 2, I realized that I had forgotten to pack my work badge that would give me access to the building/floors of the building in NYC. I was a little panicky because it’s a huge hassle when you forget your badge where I work in Minneapolis. So I stressed for about an hour even though I rationally knew worrying about it wouldn’t change a thing and that I would figure it out. 

6am - My Fitbit alarm wakes me up. I put workout clothes on and do this in room workout which I also did in Charlotte. The hotel has a gym but it’s nice to be able to stay in my room and this workout is tough for me. Those wall sits are killer  

After that I shower and get ready. I have a big day of client meetings today so I wear my go to dress although I forgot to pack the statement necklace I usually wear with this but oh well!

I used to wear suits for business travel but now I am team wear dresses only. I hate suits and do not feel comfortable/confident in them like I do in a dress!

7:30am - My first stop is Starbucks, of course! I have learned to load up at breakfast while traveling as I don’t know when I might get a break to eat lunch. So I get a triple shot venti skinny vanilla latte, classic oatmeal and yogurt. 

Jenny, I thought of you when I saw this store had holiday cups! For some reason the store in my neighborhood didn't have them over the weekend - nor did they have them last Christmas season!

7:45am - I get to the office and luckily am able to exchange my driver’s license for a temporary badge. Phew. It was so easy, I kick myself for losing sleep over it. When I get to the elevators, I see the head of HR for my massive company. I introduce myself and then he ends up going up to my floor and helping me find the trading floor. This guy is in the c suite so there is no reason he should be helping a peon like me, but he is so so nice! 

I spend the next hour or so catching up on emails and read a few blogs. The office is very quiet when I get there. I forget that New Yorkers come into work a bit later. I didn’t know when I should be in - not that anyone cares or is watching me, but I don’t want to come off as the lazy slacker! 

9:30am - I track down the sales rep that I am doing meetings with. We have talked so many times over zoom, teams, etc but it’s my first time meeting him in person. Finding him is a challenge. Our NYC office is a total and complete maze. It’s hard to find the elevators, the bathroom, you name it! I chat with some of the sales people until we head out for our first meeting at 11. 

10:30am-2:45pm - we head out for 3 meetings in the Midtown area and grab salads for lunch in between our last 2 meetings. The meetings all go well. It’s been a really awful year for financial markets but the guys we meet with get it and understand the opportunities we are seeing in the market. 

2:45pm - We get back to the office and I have time to use the restroom and fill my water bottle before going to an internal meeting at 3.  

3pm - I listen in on a meeting about opportunities in fixed income markets/how we are positioning our portfolios. After the 30 min meeting, I catch up on emails and send a question that came up during one of my client meetings to the portfolio management team.

4pm - it’s time for my final call of the day which lasts about 30 minutes over zoom.

4:30-5:30pm - I respond to emails and tasks that piled up when I was in meetings all day and I talk to a senior guy who is also in from Minneapolis about what I am going to do for dinner. Since it’s election night, I didn’t make any evening plans. A younger woman on the trading desk gave me 4 suggestions for the west village so I look at all the menus to see which has the best gluten free options. I decide on a French place - St. Tropez. 

5:30pm - I drop my backpack at the hotel, freshen up, and figure out how to get to the west village. I need to take 2 subway lines but it’s pretty easy. 

6pm - I arrive at the restaurant which is basically empty. I know people dine out later in NYC but this is to my advantage as I can snag a spot at the bar. While I eat dinner, the restaurant and bar fill up! It’s been a long day, so I treat myself to a glass of white wine, a scallop entree and chocolate mousse for dessert. I am impressed by how generous the wine pour is! I write most of this blog post on my phone during dinner. The meal is delicious and I'm charmed by the bartender's French accent. Newer readers to my blog might not know about my total and complete obsession with France. I've been there 3 times and absolutely adore Paris. I haven't been there since November 2013 and don't see us going over there for a long time so for now I get my French fix through reading and eating at French restaurants!

The ridiculously generous wine pour!

7pm - I walk through the West Village a bit and end up finding the apartment where Carrie Bradshaw of SATC lived. Then I get into the subway and head back to Midtown. The boys FT me when I am on the subway. Paul is thrilled to see that I am on a train! The connection is not great so the call drops but they clearly enjoyed seeing where mom was. I mess up on the way back home and don't get off the subway in time. I meant to take it to 42nd/Times Square stop but end up getting off at 50th street and decide to walk home instead of getting back on the subway. It's a nice night so a 20 minute walk feels good. But that does mean I walk through Times Square which is an area I've managed to avoid in all my visits to NYC. I know it's a tourist destination but ay yi yi, it is not my scene. All the bright lights, noises, and crowds are overwhelming.

7:45pm - I make a pit stop at a drug store to buy some advil. I've had headaches all day and didn't replenish my advil stash before this trip so I need more to get me through the trip. I think I must be dehydrated from travel/a full day of meetings. When I get back to my hotel room I FT the boys. They are more interested in talking to me than they were the night before. I hear about their days and how Will has had several meltdowns over who knows what. Oh toddlerhood. 

8pm - After we talk, I turned on the news and watch the election coverage. It's too early to know much and hearing all the talk over what might happen stresses me out so I turn off the tv and read my book - "Wrong Time Wrong Place" which is sooo good! 

9:30pm - I turn off my kindle and go to sleep!

Phew, it was a long day. I don't have many travel days like this that are so booked up with meetings, but I think this is what life will be like going forward when I travel! And I think I'm extra challenged by this day since I had that pesky cold.