Keeping spirits up [... while working away from home for weeks ...]

[horseman]

So your away from home for weeks on end, thousands of mile away, it's valentines day, your wife's birthday, she's sick, your sick of work, and everyone's struggling and a bit emotional. How do you get through it all.

 

[dairyfloss]

So your away from home for weeks on end, thousands of mile away, it's valentines day, your wife's birthday, she's sick, your sick of work, and everyone's struggling and a bit emotional. How do you get through it all.

How did you know?? And... beer

 

[Hvr]

Is a phone call possible? Or could you arrange for a friend at home to bring her something special and say that you're thinking of her?

Of course when you get home you get to make it all up to her and have the celebrations, a bit late but better than not having them.

 

[Rareified Air]

Add in a unwell child or maybe an unexpected breakdown of something around the house and it almost sounds like my life.

Not much you can do from where ever you are but I suggest buy her a good gift duty free on the way home, shoes have worked for me in the past!

 

[drewbles]

At the risk of sound crass, Valentines Day is utter and complete BS.

It's a "Hallmark Holiday", created by Hallmark Greeting Cards and their accomplices in the jewellery and floral world, to cash in on romance.

If you love someone, show them every day, and surprise them with random acts of love and affection. It doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't buy a nice ring or tennis bracelet for your beloved, but do it when you want; the surprise that your WAG gets from that is going to far surpass the expectation of a gift on a pre-determined retail-based holiday.

Just my feeling at least.

Being away from a loved one is hard, and when they are sick or your children are unwell etc just plain sucks 24x7x365.

 

[im.daniel]

When I opened this thread, I was thinking of a different 'spirit' ... whoops

 

[markis10]

So your away from home for weeks on end, thousands of mile away, it's valentines day, your wife's birthday, she's sick, your sick of work, and everyone's struggling and a bit emotional. How do you get through it all.

That's the downside for having someone else pay for your travel, your not always where you want to be. On the flip side, I suspect you treasure time home more than others, the old absence makes the heart grow fonder, at least in this day and age its easy to call and comfort, if you cannot be there.

 

[Boris spatsky]

I have just made an employer change so that i can see the family more than just on weekends. Problem is, initial employment for 4 months is interstate.

The kids can't understand that a little pain for maximum gain down the track is worth it. Nothing i can do to be home more at present, but hopefully it will work out in the end. Small light but very long tunnel still.

 

[Clivem]

So your away from home for weeks on end, thousands of mile away, it's valentines day, your wife's birthday, she's sick, your sick of work, and everyone's struggling and a bit emotional. How do you get through it all.

For the sake of the exercise lets assume no one is actually holding a gun to your temple insisting you travel regularly in your life.
On that basis ..if it is getting to much / not fun any more.... etc, etc why don't you simply go down another life path ? ....... Otherwise it pretty much looks like a regular run of the mill suck it up and carry on situation.

Of course if there is someone pointing a weapon at you regularly to 'force' you into high velocity aluminium tubes that go here there and everywhere, against your will, it could be time to sneak in a quick 000 call.

 

[suze2000]

Hubby worked away a lot last year. Try to get out of your hotel for a walk or some other exercise. See a bit of the place you are in (assuming it's safe). Don't eat in the hotel every night. Don't drink too much or you will get morose. And Skype Skype Skype. We once watched a movie together via Skype. It's not the same, but it's fun to have a bit of banter while you are watching.

And difficulty in life is usually only temporary. Look at it like that and just live through it. And in the immortal words of Dory the fish "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming".

Best wishes to both of you.

 

[Fantic125]

As suze2000 said, Skype is your friend.

Even though it can be a bit laggy at times, it much nicer to see and talk to each other face to face. It makes a big difference.

 

[Simo]

Phone calls and a text message to say thinking of you go along way.

I use to be way a lot for work and would send a text and even flowers or even leave some money on the bench before I left for the week and say spoil yourself.

When things do get hard at home for them it makes it easy for you.

I even use to leave a note in a draw or cupboard that she doesn't go into everyday saying something sweet, I always use to get a text saying thanks found the note.

 

[Fantic125]

I have just made an employer change so that i can see the family more than just on weekends. Problem is, initial employment for 4 months is interstate.

The kids can't understand that a little pain for maximum gain down the track is worth it. Nothing i can do to be home more at present, but hopefully it will work out in the end. Small light but very long tunnel still.

I know the feeling, having spent the last 4 ~ 5 years being overseas for work at least 120 days of each year and mainly travelling on weekends.

For the past 3 months with my new employer my initial training has been interstate (home=ADL, work=MEL) so I'm commuting Mon am & Fri pm but at least I'm home for the weekends now. Much nicer.

 

[horseman]

Skype really is great. I think she needs to realise this is how food gets on the table, and be a bit more understanding.
It's easy for those at home to crack it with they're travelling partner.
For the record I don't travel for work anymore, but know plenty that do, it seems to be an ongoing battle keeping those at home happy

 

[markis10]

Skype really is great. I think she needs to realise this is how food gets on the table, and be a bit more understanding.
It's easy for those at home to crack it with they're travelling partner.
For the record I don't travel for work anymore, but know plenty that do, it seems to be an ongoing battle keeping those at home happy

Its is, apparently your having fun all day then fine dining at night on someone else's tab, when in reality your working twice as hard, since work waits you in the form of email once those customer visits are over. Then you get home and all you want to do is actually do nothing but enjoy home. I have not had a work funded trip for almost two years, I don't miss it.

Balance in life is so hard to achieve.

 

[cove]

Communication is so much easier than 30 years ago when fax machines were just getting started in the US and the telex was the go purely because telephone calls were ridiculously priced in both the US and Australia for us.
Picking up the phone at the Marriott West Century to call home was a wealth hazard in 1984 and now we just go to T mobile and get a month of calls for about $50 US. Life would have been so much easier if the IPad / Internet was all in place 30 years ago.

 

[Scarlett]

So your away from home for weeks on end, thousands of mile away, it's valentines day, your wife's birthday, she's sick, your sick of work, and everyone's struggling and a bit emotional. How do you get through it all.

1. Call or skype home and chat.
2. Call local florist and have them deliver some flowers around to your wife unannounced.
3. Sit back and watch an episode of Top Gear.

You'll feel better almost immediately.

 

[JohnK]

I have been doing it for close to 6 years.

It is extremely depressing.

I don't have a wife or kids but I do have mum and dad. They left their parents to come to a new country when they were 34 and 28. I kept promising myself I would never leave them and here I am with a broken promise.

I do it only for the money so I can travel. No other reason. That reason is starting to wear very thin.