Chewing Gum and String – The Weekly Update

“We’re holding it together with chewing gum and string.”  That’s a phrase I remember learning (and liking the sound of) when I was younger.  As I continued to grow professionally, I realized that wasn’t necessarily the best way to live all the time but as road warriors, we often learn to “patch this” or “trick that” to keep some semblance of normal in our lives so it becomes a way of being.

That is how the last three months have felt… held together with chewing gum and string.  This week I felt like there were not enough hours in the day to get things done.  On the days that I worked from home, I was up and dressed and at my desk by 6 am, with the specific intent of starting early so I could make it to a morning yoga class as a break.  Then morning would pass and lunch would drift by.  I’d eat around 1 pm and think “okay, afternoon yoga then”.  And then I’d look up and it would be 9 pm.  No yoga, no blog entry, but lots of work done.

Now that I’m finally hitting the true stress point I am actually relaxed – and I realize I’ve built a much more solid foundation for the management of my time and resources.  So while it may look chaotic (my dining room is full of the bags and boxes of things I’ve cleaned out of my old offices, my calendar looks stressful), because I had a solid plan in place it actually feels okay.  I can finally see the end in sight as I have nailed down completion dates for all my projects with my old firm and have started to line up a solid calendar of projects behind them at the new firm.  And my travel is solidly in order too!  If only I can get back into a workout and blogging routine, I’ll feel balanced again.

It’s why I’m bringing you the weekly update a day early… it might not make it on the calendar otherwise because I’ve got some fun writing plans for next week.  (But hold that thought….)

I woke up early in my lovely room at the W West Hollywood this morning and decided that playing catch up while watching the sun rise over the Hollywood Hills would be a great time to write (and get some client work done too).  Nothing is yet open but soon I’ll head to breakfast and then out to run some errands (yes, I love to do routine things on the road to be more productive!) like picking up a couple of gifts at the Brentwood Country Mart, treating myself to some time at the nail salon, and maybe even getting a blowout if I can find a last minute appointment.  Perhaps I’ll even treat myself to Sugarfish for lunch while I’m out… I’m feeling crazy like that.

One of my favorite things about traveling to the same cities regularly for years is that I no longer feel pressured to go at a fast pace when I’m there.  Sometimes when I’m on vacation and touring, there is a overwhelming need to see many things or stick to an agenda.  Los Angeles is one of the places I can come and just “be”.  Sure, I often end up here because I have client meetings or I’m attending a specific event (such as the trip I’m on now), but I try to keep the rest of my schedule fluid to allow for a lazy day by a rooftop pool or a leisurely brunch.

Leisurely is the opposite of how my travel schedule feels for the next few weeks – but I’m okay with how it looks because I know that I’ll make it work.  I’m 25% of the way through my 20 segments in two weeks marathon.  Did I mention that I have two major project deadlines, a conference, four client presentations, and two personal weekend trips in the midst of that… and then I come back and do the final walk-through, move-out, everything must go on my old office space so that I can hand over my keys on June 1.  No pressure.

But yes, I’m calm.  No chewing gum or string in sight.

Just planes.  Lots of planes.

One plane in particular has my attention today – the Pan Am Experience.  That’s what I’ll be doing tonight with a group of fellow aviation geeks on a studio lot here in Los Angeles.  I cannot think of a better weekend to do it – the series finale of Mad Men tomorrow night will leave us in the 1970s and with all the aviation references throughout the show’s run, my inner Peggy Olsen wants nothing more than to relive the jet set days.  With all this retro love this weekend, I’m declaring next week as vintage week at Jetsetter’s Homestead.  So look for not only a full rundown of the experience, but also some other vintage travel goodness.

Until then, buckle up and refrain from smoking while the sign is illuminated.

xoxo