With Valentine’s Day being on a weekday this year, chances are if you travel for business you’ll be away from your sweetie on this day. Me? I’ll be an entire continent away from my husband.
Valentine’s Day is about the worst day of the year to be eating dinner alone in a restaurant, if you can even get into a nice restaurant. Surrounded by lovey-dovey couples, it’s easy to feel like the loneliest person on the planet. You miss your loved one and want to be with him. You don’t want to be watching all the hand-holding and kissing going on everywhere you look. Deep in thought, you might question why you travel at all or have thoughts of finding a new career where you’d never again be away from home on special days like this.
Before you hang up your TSA-bag of liquids for good and swear off travel, here are some survival tips for spending a Valentine’s Day away from your loved one:
- Plan a dinner with friends or co-workers who are also ‘going solo’ for the evening. A few years ago I had dinner with four co-workers, all women but one. We easily got a large table at a restaurant (who else wanted a table for 5?), one red rose (which we gave to our male friend), and had a great time.
- Ask your hotel if they offer in-room massage services and enjoy an evening of pampering in the privacy of your room.
- Hang out at the nearest mall. Nothing like a little shopping to take the glum out of your evening, and pick up a special something for your partner for when you get back home.
- Pick up a bouquet of flowers, or even just one red rose, for your hotel room to give it a more special feeling. Of course, if your honey sends flowers to your hotel, all the better!
- Spend the evening on the phone with your spouse or partner. Have a ‘remember why I feel in love with you‘ conversation. Yes, you’ll feel sad when you hang up, but you’ll have happy loving memories to help you fall asleep.
- Better than a phone call, get on Skype video call with your partner and do your own air-kissing and hugging across the miles.
- Order a glass of wine from room service (heck, order the whole bottle!) and read a good book while in a bubble bath.
So what will I be doing on the evening of Valentine’s Day when I’m 5,000 miles away from my husband? I think I’ll go with Survival Tips 4, 6 and 7. First the flowers, then the Skype call, followed up with a long relaxing soak in the tub.
How about you?
Carol,
The other half who is sometimes left at home can get industrious too!
One thing I always try to do to keep the magic alive my husband is going on a trip is hide little notes in his luggage. Just a small piece of paper in his socks when goes to pull them out that says, “You’re packing in the next room and I miss you already.” or “Good luck at the meeting!” in his toiletry bag can help keep your spouse thinking of you and you become a part of his trip even though you’re not there. My mom started that tradition when we’d pack for college and during the unpacking we girls would know Mom loved us from afar!
Likewise, I came back from a meeting one day to find a bottle of wine waiting for me with a note that said “Congrats on the speech today!” from my honey. It’s always a great to know they were thinking of you!
Finally, every time I come from a long trip, my husband and I plan a date night for the next night I’m home. No work, no cell phones, just us. It’s a great way to reconnect after the jet lag wears off and just be together.
Love the tips on this issue! Thanks for sharing all this great travel information!
Jamie Rose
Director of Workshops | Momenta Workshops
http://www.momentaworkshops.com