The DU Lounge

It was, shall we say, "an experience," but not one I'd pay for. (Air France used to give free 1 way upgrades to American business class travelers, so I just paid a business class ticket.) It really sucked going to France, if one is an insomniac, which I am. I flew it twice to France, and once back to the US, which was mildly fun as I arrived before I left in clock time.

Six times to Europe every year; struggling with my bad French, traveling all over the country, sometimes to Germany or Italy or the Netherlands.

All over the US, NJ, California, crazy cities in Michigan like Kalamazoo, Chicago, Houston, Indianapolis, San Diego, LA, San Francisco, lots and lots of trips to Boulder, Colorado via Denver, on average once a month.

Once, on my youngest son's first birthday, I flew home to New Jersey from San Diego, to attend his party, took a shower and flew to Norway, where I met a bunch of people who liked to drink until sundown, which at the Summer solstice well north of Oslo is around 2 am.

When the French came to the US, they used to think that the US was the size of France, and want to do ten or twelve companies, scattered across the United States in less than 8 days.

It got old before I got old.

Now I do two or three trips a year. That's it. I should probably retire, but I don't. My wife is younger than me, she still works so I do too.

At first I thought the traveling life would be exciting, sexy, whatever. After about 2 years, I realized that all I wanted was to be home with my wife and (then small) sons. I did it for about 12 years; happily I'm done.