I was sitting in the office, preparing the documents for deals. The papers were lengthy. Each detail should be right.
I took time to go through it, several times. Some of the points were missing. My Google Calendar pops up. I forgot that I had to go to London, for meeting Mr. George for making a new deal.
I had 3 days to prepare everything. Furthermore, I just took a deep breath. I had to travel from Los Angeles Airport to Heathrow Airport London. The main thing was, I knew that it is going to be stressful. I had to manage it well.
1. Planning Is the Key
I booked online the tickets and the hotel. It was important, to see that my room was near Mr. George’s office. The good news for me was that the airport was just half a drive away. These will save me time.
Luckily my meeting was one week after the New Year, so the fares were pretty economical. I wrote everything in detail. I divided the tasks for the next three days.
2. Packing
I didn’t want to pay for excess baggage. So I read the guidelines on my ticket. I packed one small suitcase with my clothes and shoes. Next was my laptop bag with the documents of the deal, sealed in an A4 envelope.
The advantages of traveling light are many. I can easily travel, to the airport. I will also not strain my shoulders. Likewise, I also put my business cards, mobile charger, and laptop charger.
3. Networking
Two hours before my departure time, I arrived. I knew that it’s a busy airport. My baggage was checked When I reached the waiting lounge. My eyes moved to see people around me.
I spoke to few people; some of them were going on business trips like me. So I exchanged business cards, grabbed this opportunity. Some of them even gave me an invitation to visit them.
4. Journey
My journey over the Atlantic Ocean was very pleasant. I spend my time talking to people around me. We all were laughing and cracking jokes.
My seat was comfortable; I also slept for some time. I also read books on starting a small business on my laptop, which I downloaded a few months back.
The food was awesome. I enjoyed it very much. The view from my window was beautiful, full of clouds.
Finally, I arrived at London airport, 10 am local time. I collected the baggage, my passport was stamped. I booked the taxi, reached the hotel. The receptionist welcomed me and gave me the access card.
I made the coffee and prepared for the meeting with Mr. George. On my mobile, I just booked the uber taxi.
I arrived half an hour early. We sat with his colleagues in a meeting room. I did the presentation. Everything went well. We all had a signing ceremony.
5. Time for myself
I arrived late in the evening. My body was tired; Then I just booked a massage session in the hotel. I was refreshed and relaxed, had dinner at the restaurant, near my hotel.
Within 10 minutes, I came back to my room, changed the clothes, and slept well. The next morning, I just went to the gym for some exercise. My colleagues called me on Skype, to do the meeting.
I returned to the room, took shower, and changed my dress. My secretary was asking me to confirm some more meetings, with other clients. I met at the airport. I checked my schedule and confirmed the dates and times. It was very hectic. My whole week was full of meetings.
In the free time, I just visited some parks in the neighborhood, to remain positive. I didn’t want my work to affect my health. I also took time to chat with my friends on zoom; we shared, our daily routine. It is a must to remain social.
Conclusion
It was a month-long trip; I made new friends, visited new places. I was also glad, that I made new clients. It was all teamwork. It was not easy, as it looks, in between I also had headaches, and I was exhausted.
I also had last-minute deadlines. I managed online, instead of commuting and wasting time and my company’s reputation. My return flight was delayed due to rain in London. I never gave up; I had my entire office meetings in the waiting lounge, on Zoom, with headphones on.
When I was talking to my colleagues, there was an announcement about my departure. I took my bag and headed to the airplane for my way home.