Whenever I tell someone about my travels for work, the immediate assumption is that I must live a very glamorous life. And honestly, if I picture someone on a "business trip," even I start to imagine first-class plane tickets, swank hotels, and coordinated designer luggage. But the reality, my friends, is not so snazzy -- aside from the daily Starbucks excursions, which I like very much. I took notes this year so I could give you a complete "day-in-the-life" experience. Here's a play-by-play of a day in the Bay Area.
5:15 am Rise and shine! Am so anxious about oversleeping that I've actually been awake since 4:45. Yawn.
6:00 am Ready to go. Googlemapped a Starbucks just down the street. It's still completely dark outside, and I'm the only customer. Vanilla latte = happy Colleen.
6:15 am Well, I'm definitely not the only person on the freeway! Nonetheless, I make it to Marin in 45 minutes.
7:30 am First visit of the day. I meet one student -- she's already visited HMC, so she has some good questions.
8:30 am Stop at a grocery store to pick up some snacks for lunch -- I know I won't have time later. Spend several minutes looking for my silver Honda before remembering I'm driving a rental. Oops.
9:10 am Second visit. No takers. Contemplate weirdness of a traffic flow where 3rd St becomes 2nd St turns into 4th St. San Rafael, what were you thinking?
10:05 am I'm five minutes late for my third visit. I hate that. One student.
11:00 am Arrive at parking lot of next high school. Gulp down a quick lunch of string cheese, cherry tomatoes, and homemade granola. Sing praises of stainless steel water bottle, which has kept water cool in a warm car. Try to call a few high schools in Oregon, but can't get reception. Read instead.
11:30 am Dust off granola crumbs and report for next visit. One student.
12:10 pm Am invited for lunch at San Domenico but can't stay. Have 50 minutes to make it to next high school, so not particularly panicked, but can't find the turn (thanks, Google Maps) and end up late to my 1 pm visit. Rats.
2:25 pm Spend ten minutes looking for parking. Grab another handful of granola and a quick swallow of water. Stainless steel water bottle no longer quite so effective.
2:45 pm Great chat with two seniors. Lizards and lizard treadmills much discussed.
4:00 pm Debate with self: try to make it back to hotel before rush hour traffic, or succumb to temptation and eat first full meal of day RIGHT NOW? Regretfully decide first option is more prudent. No crepes today.
5:30 pm Arrive back at hotel. So much for missing traffic.
6:00 pm Chiptole burrito bowl and HGTV! I don't have TV at home so this is a special treat.
6:30 pm Discover that the laptop's wireless isn't working. Much frustration. I've got important things to do! Settle for catching up on reports & spreadsheets and writing some e-mails I can send later. Keep an eye on HGTV. Wonder if I can befriend Sandra Rinomato.
9:30 pm Time for bed!
So that, dear readers, is what a travel day looks like -- a pre-dawn wake-up call, no proper lunch, lots of muttered curses at Google Maps, and a suspicious dearth of parking spaces and restrooms. The perks? Well, the television and the restaurant food, certainly, but I do also get to reconnect with some very nice college counselors, and in general, Mudd applicants are pretty nifty people. So it's not all suffering. That said, I'm looking forward to my own bed, my own food, and my own fluffy dog very soon.
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