A Quiet Night Alone in San Diego
Two Nights in San Diego #2
At the Westin - Tue, 25 Jun 2024, 9pm
I had choices for when to fly to San Diego Tuesday afternoon. It's not like traveling to New York, or even Chicago, where there might be only one reasonable flight (or two, on different airlines, but at similar times). There were at least four different but reasonable timing options. The question was, what was I solving for in my schedule?
"Let's meet for a nice dinner," the account manager I'm joining in San Diego told me and other other guy flying in for these customer meetings.
Ah! There's what I'm solving for: arrive in time for dinner with colleagues. Thus I changed my flight to an earlier departure. I also acceded to the account manager's preference for the hotel instead of my own choice, so that we'd be in the same spot and could more easily coordinate.
From the airport on Tuesday afternoon I texted the two of them to verify their travel schedules, figuring we could start making dinner plans. "I'm having dinner with my family tonight and will leave for San Diego after that," said the first. "I'll be in after 9."
LOLWUT? This was the guy who proposed I change my plans so we could have dinner together! The other guy wouldn't be in 'til around 9pm, either. Apparently I was the only one fool enough to believe "Let's have dinner together' meant "Let's have dinner together." 😡
Well, taking the earlier flight wasn't the end of the world. I flew during work hours instead of getting sucked in to a full day at my desk then flying during what should be personal time. Dinner alone this evening was relaxing. I ate in the hotel bar, caught up on a bit of work while I was there, and retreated to my room to take it easy the rest of the evening.
I didn't really need the quiet time alone, but since that was all that was available, I took it. What I wanted was the chance to catch up with colleagues in an unhurried setting. Now I'll have to see if I can meet them for breakfast- which I'm almost certain will not happen because they'll have a morning routine that leaves them only enough time for a cup of coffee- or chat with them while we're in the car driving to the client's office. That won't be the same as gathering over dinner.
At the Westin - Tue, 25 Jun 2024, 9pm
I had choices for when to fly to San Diego Tuesday afternoon. It's not like traveling to New York, or even Chicago, where there might be only one reasonable flight (or two, on different airlines, but at similar times). There were at least four different but reasonable timing options. The question was, what was I solving for in my schedule?
"Let's meet for a nice dinner," the account manager I'm joining in San Diego told me and other other guy flying in for these customer meetings.
Ah! There's what I'm solving for: arrive in time for dinner with colleagues. Thus I changed my flight to an earlier departure. I also acceded to the account manager's preference for the hotel instead of my own choice, so that we'd be in the same spot and could more easily coordinate.
From the airport on Tuesday afternoon I texted the two of them to verify their travel schedules, figuring we could start making dinner plans. "I'm having dinner with my family tonight and will leave for San Diego after that," said the first. "I'll be in after 9."
LOLWUT? This was the guy who proposed I change my plans so we could have dinner together! The other guy wouldn't be in 'til around 9pm, either. Apparently I was the only one fool enough to believe "Let's have dinner together' meant "Let's have dinner together." 😡
Well, taking the earlier flight wasn't the end of the world. I flew during work hours instead of getting sucked in to a full day at my desk then flying during what should be personal time. Dinner alone this evening was relaxing. I ate in the hotel bar, caught up on a bit of work while I was there, and retreated to my room to take it easy the rest of the evening.
I didn't really need the quiet time alone, but since that was all that was available, I took it. What I wanted was the chance to catch up with colleagues in an unhurried setting. Now I'll have to see if I can meet them for breakfast- which I'm almost certain will not happen because they'll have a morning routine that leaves them only enough time for a cup of coffee- or chat with them while we're in the car driving to the client's office. That won't be the same as gathering over dinner.