Business Trip = Love and Hate Story

I love travel and hope I can have an opportunity to travel over 100 countries in my life even though I know it is difficult to achieve my dream.

Before I had a chance to go for a business trip, sometime I did envy people who have a chance to go for it not only because it is a free trip but also have a difference exposure to work with people from difference countries and cultures.

However, after I have the opportunity, I realized that a business trip can be no fun at all. Somehow I can use the word “troublesome” to descript it.

Before go for a business trip, I have to list down all my outstanding tasks and make sure they have been well taking care of. Then I have to plan for the date when to go for the trip which must avoid all the project timelines.

Before and after the trip, I need to fill in number of forms like travel request form, expense request form, claim form, entertainment expense form and a lot more together attach with all the expense receipts and exchange rate receipt from bank or money changer. Those preparations do take me few days even 1-2 weeks to do that. After that, still have to go through the request forms with bosses and get approval.

For me, since have so many tasks on hands, business trip is considered an extract task which does eat into my project timelines. So, business trip can be very stressful for me.

Now I know why some of my friends have bad comments about business trip. I do feel the pain and the frustration now. For me, I rather pay for my own trip than go for a business trip. Trip that I pay which I only need to apply for leave and go without filling any form and get approval. The most important thing is I can enjoy the trip that I pay for.

Like what people always say: There is not free lunch under the sun. I am very sure a business trip is not a free lunch.

These few days I am so busy at filling in travel forms, negotiate for leave and cleaning backlogs. From my face, everybody can tell how frustration I am. Only thing that can cheers me up is the plan for my vacation to Paris and celebrate X’mas with my friends in London. However, still negotiate for my leave. A NO for my leave application can easily destroy all my plans. The only thing I can do now is pray for myself.