For many years, I worked at a single facility (three facilities total in twenty-one years,) and supported each facility as a process control technician or engineer, which included daily interaction with operations and maintenance, and I also supported projects and upgrades.

My schedule didn’t change much over the years, and was very routine although I would not say predictable, because you never knew when you would be called in early and when you would stay late.

Image by: Brandon Cooper

The last couple of years I have worked remotely and have traveled to different sites to perform specific projects or resolve specific problems. Regularly living an itinerant lifestyle has allowed me to learn some things that I wouldn’t have experienced travelling casually, and I’ll share them here in this multi-part article.

Flying

I flew out to Charlotte, NC on Sept 10th 2001, not knowing that every future flight would never be the same again. As the ease of flying has become nothing but more difficult over the years, I have learned to be as efficient as I know to be. If you are going to be a frequent traveler, here are a few things that I can recommend at first thought.

  1. Get TSA Precheck – it takes some time and effort to obtain: fingerprints, fees and background checks, but in the end it will save you time getting through security in many of the larger airports. And don’t forge the “Real ID”. It has been put off for several years, but if you have not upgraded your driver’s license to a Real ID, you might want to get on that before it takes effect in 2025.

  2. To check or not to check – None of us really like to check a bag, but I have come to terms with the fact that, if I am dealing with connecting flights, it is better to check a bag than to stand in the terminal for five or ten minutes after a flight to wait on a roller-bag that won’t fit in a small jet overhead. I have made many connecting flights with just a couple of minutes before the door was closed that I would not have made if I would have waited on luggage. For short trips, I get everything in a backpack and if it’s a longer trip, I go ahead and check a bag with the caveat that I take my toiletries and a night or two of clothes in my backpack.

  3. Stay by the airport – Many trips I make have a one to three hour drive to the destination that I will stay and work. The last night of my trip I book a hotel right near the airport and make the drive back after work the last day and stay there. Its worth it to me to get a little extra sleep and not have to worry about traffic issues or anything else preventing my early departure.

  4. Get the apps and start collecting points – Airlines, as well as, hotels, rental cars, your regular coffee stop, restaurants and all kinds of places, all have apps and rewards. Might as well start sooner than later, making your preferred choices, download the apps and get started collecting. You will thank yourself when you are on a personal vacation.

  5. Learn your airport terminals – When you begin returning to the same airports over and over, pay attention to the terminals. Know exactly where your coffee is, where the best quick or layover lunch places are. It can help you get what you need between flights when you are pressed for time.

Conclusion

The world of travel for leisure as well as work can be both frustrating and wonderful. It can be easy, but difficult at the same time. The things we can control, the things that we can make more efficient, just make life easier and many times can make the difference in whether you make that flight home or not.

Written by Brandon Cooper
Senior Controls Engineer and Freelance Writer

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Brandon Cooper
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