"Come with me, go places."

[thewalnut]

It's been awhile since I made you guys make a major life decision for me. But here goes

Comments

[elke_tanzer]

Would it be possible for them to expand the trip a bit longer for you, so that you could arrange to see more of the city if you go?

If not... hmm. I don't know what to tell you. A year ago, I'd've said go, be all businessy and career-minded. Then I overworked myself for eight months and have burned myself out. And now I'm inclined to tell them, sorry, I have friends/family commitments already, and unless they can arrange a flight that would get you home in time to meet those work-life balance commitments...

I don't suppose the meeting might be rescheduled?

[thewalnut]

They wouldn't expand the trip. And I can't afford to take the time and money to do it... especially midweek.

The meeting ends at 2:30 Central Time, so feasibly I could get a 5:00 p.m. flight home, but that still doesn't get me back into D.C. until 8 p.m and home until 9 or so. So Halloween couldn't happen at all if I go.

And yeah, the meeting is set if we're there or not. Sigh. Who holds a meeting on Halloween? Don't these people have kids to get home to?

[elke_tanzer]

Sucktastic.

I don't suppose you have friends in Chicago who have a front porch and pumpkins... then you could go for the meeting, have Halloween, then catch a red-eye home.

Whatever you decide, you have my sympathy. Work-life balance seems rather... elusive for me, if not impossible.

*gentle hugs*

[thewalnut]

I think that's the way we're going... with the call-in option. The VP no longer wants to go, and they don't want to lose me for two days in the office, so it works out for everyone to have me call in.

[maystone]

Calling in sounds like the perfect compromise. You'll still have "presence", and that seems to be mostly what they're looking for.

C'mon, cutting pumpkins with Bob on his front porch is by far the right call :)

[negihama]

I'm not going to vote the way I'm sure you're hoping that we'll all vote (to not go). I think it sounds important to go and one of the bummers about being in a responsible position at work is that sometimes along with the perks, there are those things that you really don't want to do. I've been doing a lot of that "don't wanna" stuff lately myself.

You should plan on going...

[sorebikr]

Because once you do, the meeting will get postponed. That way you look like the team player, but don't actually have to do anything.