TravelBlog

(Instead of "Travelogue". Get it? Get.... aw, never mind...)

So this has been my last three days. On Wednesday, I'm getting ready to leave work within the hour (or so) for the airport. But an assignment comes in that I pretty much have to handle ASAP. I end up leaving on time, but VERY stressed over the assignment in question.

I'm on a flight from Toronto to Quebec City (which I hadn't been to since I was, oh, about 13) that was arrive there around 9:45. The plane didn't get in till 10:30, though, for lord knows what reason, and as a results, some plans I had made for once I got to the hotel had fallen through. I'd arranged to meet a colleague for drinks, but by the time I arrived at the hotel (the famed Chateau Frontenac, which in my opinion wasn't that great). Plus, at that hour, it was impossible to see too much of the snow-covered city anyways. So much for sneaking at least a QUICK look around.

Wake up at 6 a.m. to tackle my workload, which unfortunately is all done from my hotel room, save from a brief escape in the early afternoon to another hotel-type location. By 4 p.m. or so, I dash for a taxi and head back to the airport. Time spent outdoors (excluding cab rides): less than one minute.

Fly in to Toronto after another lousy, cramped and delayed flight, but this time I'm panicking because I have to grab a connecting flight to Winnipeg. I make it with, oh, about five minutes to spare before boarding began (oh, did I mention that I haven't eaten anything this day yet? Well, I haven't. I was living off of coffee, basically.)

On the bright side, the flight to Winnipeg was great. I was bumped up to first class for some reason and actually had a decent conversation with the person seated next to me (I usually dread talking to complete strangers, but at least this woman was polite and interesting). I get into Winnipeg about 11 p.m. (10 local time), a quick cab to the hotel and I'm ready to crash. I will say, though, that the hotel I stayed at (The Delta Winnipeg - I don't think I've ever stayed at a Delta in all my years of business travel) was great, and the people were extremely hospitable. Again, no time to sight-see, though.

Woke up at 5 a.m. (6 eastern standard time, for those keeping count), and it was basically the same routine, except this time I had the foresight to order up some breakfast to my room. Worked in the room till about noon (I forget who's time zone, though) then hopped in a cab to another hotel, attended some meetings, did two interviews, and before I knew it, it was time to leave. Well, that's not entirely true, I did get about an hour to relax in a nice little Irish pub.

Now, I'm at the Winnipeg airport, waiting for the final journey home. I realize, this probably doesn't sound like a horror story to most people, and I guess in truth it wasn't. More frustrating and tiring than anything else, I guess.

I'm determined to see some of the actual sights in Canada, and not just their hotel lobbies, before I die.