More Ugly

Writing my blog, I've vowed to keep it real.  A career traveling is not always rainbows and unicorns; but the awesome experiences offset the personal sacrifices. 

This time of year is usually my down time when it comes to work travel; my busy time really picks up in August and September.  This means that every evening and weekend is mine to plan, whether it is here in Des Moines or a fun trip somewhere else.  This year, my busy travel season will start a month early and likely take me through the end of the calendar year.

When I'm on conference calls discussing travel dates, I've been getting nervous and a little anxious.  Will I be able to balance my personal and professional commitments?  How will my personal relationships be effected?  How exhausted will I feel?

I'm thankful for my parents and sister; without their support and caring for my dogs, I couldn't afford to travel - literally.  Do you know how much it costs to board dogs?  I couldn't stomach the cost, let alone doing that to my poor pups.  Knowing that my dogs are loved and cared for is a huge weight off my shoulders.

I'm thankful for my boyfriend; it takes quite a bit of patience to put up with my schedule and even more understanding for someone to appreciate my idea of a date.  Picking me up at the airport and dinner 11pm counts as a date, right?  How about watching a movie together... by phone because I'm 1200 miles away?

I'm thankful for my friends that keep in touch via email and facebook and my blog.  Today I received the sweetest message from a friend and former coworker that seriously made my day. 

I'm kind of laughing to myself right now, this post started out about how anxious and nervous I've felt but in writing out my concerns and all that I'm grateful for... I feel at ease; I know my friends and family have got my back.