I'm writing this post as I sit in a hotel room in Albuquerque, NM. I'm thinking about how lucky I am to be here. I know that my employer is incredibly generous to allow me, even back me to attend the Independent School Gender Project Conference each year, so I'm feeling quite grateful at the moment. I want to put in a plug for travelling for work, if you, too, are lucky enough to work at the kind of place that will help you attend professional development opportunities that aren't in your own back yard.
I'm just going to make a short list (in no particular order) of some of the reasons I love to travel for work:
- I've been eating really well. The food at the conference has been delicious, and I've gone out for a few more good meals at restaurants.
- I'm staying at a nice hotel (Hotel Albuquerque) with an amazing fitness center, restaurant, gift shop, pool, and hot tub.
- I've gotten to hang out with amazing people, some of whom I already know but haven't gotten to see in a long time.
- I've gotten to see a cool new city I haven't ever spent time in.
- I got to meet my husband's uncle and aunt. (Amazingly, I've been with my husband for twenty-eight years, but haven't ever met either of his mother's brothers until this trip.)
Of course, these are all bonus facts to my getting to attend an amazing conference at which we talked about how to make independent schools safer, healthier, and happier places for students of all genders.
What kinds of travel have you gotten to do for your job? If you haven't travelled for work, what ideas do you have for how your employer might support your continued professional development, either locally or at a distance? Please write your thoughts in the comments.