By Tina Archer (Epsilon, University of Southern California)
Life on the Road
I get a lot of questions about what my life looks like as a traveling professional. And I am here to tell you that every day on the road looks different! This is one of my favorite aspects of being a chapter consultant: there is no such thing as boredom! I thought I would walk through some of the frequently asked questions I receive as someone who travels up to 100% of the time.
Logistics
“Where do you stay?” It depends! If a chapter has a private room and bathroom available, I will stay at the chapter house. I love staying in the facility with collegians! It is a great way to get to know the campus and chapter culture. One of my favorite memories as a consultant was when I was staying in a facility and the women living in invited me to join their movie night. It was so much fun getting to know the collegians on a deeper level. However, not all chapters have facilities, or if they do, they may not have a guest room. In these cases, I stay in a nearby hotel. I like to try to find one walking distance to the house/campus so I can get my steps in and view some of the sights!
Packing for Life on the Road
“Now where could you be going with all that luggage?” This is a question I get asked almost every time I travel. I often answer this question with “I travel pretty much full time with my work, so this is everything I own!”
Traveling so often and sometimes for as long as 2 ½ months straight means I have condensed almost all of my belongings to two checked bags, a carryon and a tote bag. And I am proud to report that in my second year, I only traveled with one checked bag, a carryon and my tote bag!
I have spent a great deal of time narrowing down my belongings to “the essentials,” and this is what I have learned works best for me. I pack a “capsule wardrobe,” essentially a few staple pieces that I can mix and match. It’s about three pairs of jeans (white/light wash/black) and about five tops. I also like to pack some workout and leisure clothes for comfort when I am traveling or not meeting with anyone that day.
Self-Care on the Road
“How do you manage to travel for that long?” Taking care of yourself is so important when you travel so frequently! I travel with a wide array of over-the-counter medicine and plenty of vitamin C. I also learned that I am the best “me” when I can get some physical movement into each day, so that is something I have had to adapt to on the road. I use a subscription fitness service (ClassPass) to sign up for fitness classes, and I always travel with my yoga mat and some resistance bands. I also love to take walks around campus while I am on visits to get a feel for the school (as well as to get my steps in).
It was a bit of a learning curve for me to figure out what self-care looked like on the road in terms of my mental health. In college, I was constantly surrounded by my closest friends. So, when you begin traveling solo, it can feel a bit weird. I learned that I do my best when I schedule time to connect with family and friends on the road! The consultant team is also very supportive, and we have a weekly social Zoom meeting to catch up during our busy travel seasons. One of the things I treasure most about my time as a consultant is the friendships I have made with my fellow consultants!
Staying Safe on the Road
“Are you ever afraid of traveling by yourself?” I have learned a lot of helpful tips to make sure I always feel safe on the road! During summer training, we also have an entire session dedicated to safety tips in terms of traveling. Here are some things I always try to do when I am traveling solo:
If I am staying at a hotel and ordering food, I will always ask them to deliver it to the lobby. This ensures that a stranger doesn’t know what room I am staying in, and I don’t have to open my door to a stranger!
I use hotel locks as well to provide an extra peace of mind when I am staying in hotels.
When I visit chapters, for the most part collegians are available to pick me up/drop me off at my hotel and take me to run any errands. However, when collegians are not available, I use ride share apps such as Uber and Lyft. When I use these platforms, I always share my ride details with my emergency contact. I also have opted in for the “Lyft Pink” program which prioritizes women drivers when I call Lyfts!
Itineraries
“What do you do on visits?” Again, this one really depends! On every visit, I will attend all chapter events that are happening during my stay. If I am visiting during pre-recruitment, I will attend all pre-recruitment activities and facilitate some workshops myself. For recruitment visits, I am there for everything as well! For chapter coaching visits, I will work with the chapter to determine priority areas and meet with specific chapter officers throughout my visit.
Overall
All in all, I get a lot of questions about my life as a traveling professional! I love sharing my tips and tricks I have learned along the way, and I can’t wait to continue to learn even more as I continue in my role!