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I promise to never again ask my husband why he is taking another picture out an airplane window! I finally realize that each time he flies; he recovers, at least for a few moments, a child-like curiosity and wide-eyed wonder of what he sees. You can’t always tell when those moments will find you.

Softball games, county fairs, picnics, berry picking, swimming in the creek, riding down hill on sleds, ice-skating on the pond, deer hunting, high-school plays…all scenes from my childhood in rural Pennsylvania. My grandparents, parents, other relatives, friends, and neighbors and I lived quiet lives revolving around family, home, and community. Trips to Florida and Canada were monumental adventures, exciting events celebrated with slide shows and stories of new sights seen. Only local service men experienced exotic lands across the oceans.

My limited knowledge of Japan followed me into adulthood: samurai, sumo, geisha in kimonos, rice, Mount Fuji, and green tea. As time passed, new images of Japan pushed their way forward – Japan as a powerhouse in technical innovations and top-notch manufacturing. And then, the real lessons began with my first flight west to the land in the east.

“I can’t believe I’m actually standing in Japan!” I thought, gazing out my high-rise window at the Keio Plaza. “It just doesn’t seem possible. Who would have ever believed that I would make it from the farm on Sugar Hill to Tokyo! I wish my Aunt Belle were still alive so that I could tell her I’m here doing business with…”

Japan! Where trains run on time and people politely wait their turn in line… Where taxis have pure-white starched headrest covers and people sensibly aren’t embarrassed to break into a run when late… Where simple lunches are served with care on real china and “set” meals are served without choices of side dishes… Where toilets make cheering noises and shoes are taken off in restaurants and placed in perfect alignment at the door… Where fish guts are actually listed on the menu and every meal challenges the I-don’t-like-seafood eaters of the world!

Japan! Where a westerner stands out like a red cherry in a bowl of bings and rules for bowing are somewhat baffling… Where clerks and waiters shout “welcome” and “thank-you” and wrapping up everyday packages is an art form… Where in business, a smile isn’t always a positive and a frown isn’t always a negative… Where centuries-old temples sit peacefully among high-rise office buildings and young people grow much taller than their elders… Where 3.5 million people pass through Shinjuku train station every day in such a rush of humanity that I have to look down at the floor to keep from getting motion sickness!

Japan! Where Mount Fuji looms off in the distance and bullet trains fly low through the countryside at 186 miles per hour… Where rice fields grow right up to back doors and no land is wasted on oversized lawns… Where the heaviest people would be among the thinnest at home… Where giants Sony, Panasonic, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, and Fujitsu develop the latest have-to-haves and massive electronics stores hawk these wares with a lights-flashing, beautiful-girls shouting, loud-speaker blasting, wonderfully-chaotic style!

Japan! Where…

Even after making several more business trips to Japan, that moment when I gazed out over the rooftops of Tokyo for the first time remains forever etched in my mind. In today’s fast-paced and over-exposed world, we’re lucky to find occasional spontaneous moments of joyful wonder. Take another picture out the window, Gary. I know how you feel.

The window fan merely moved the stifling July air around the living room as sweat gathered on my forehead, but I still considered fixing a cup of hot green tea.

A few minutes earlier, while searching for a photo of our new house shutters to send to my aunt in North Carolina, a stray picture fluttered to the floor. “How’d that get in there with these new pictures?” I wondered, staring at hundreds of rooftops spanning out as far as the edges of the photo would allow. Tokyo! Tokyo taken a few years before from the window of my room at the Royal Park Hotel in the southern Chuo-ku area of the city – ah yes, that was the day…

“Dang, I wish I could have scheduled my business meetings all in one week so that I didn’t have to stay the weekend,” I thought, on that hot, hazy July morning in Tokyo. Though tempted to stay in my room all day, I picked up my wallet, put a city map in my pocket, and started out the door.

This was my fourth trip to Japan, but the first traveling without a colleague from the U.S. The previous four days had flown by in a whirlwind of trains, planes, buses, and taxis as our agent and I visited customers from Tokushima in the south to Hakodate in the northern island of Hokkaido. Now, a long weekend in Tokyo yawned before me as my usual sense of adventure lost out to loneliness and a strong urge to go home.

I walked aimlessly down the busy sidewalk. Gray skies and monochrome buildings towered over hoards of black- and gray-clad strangers; colors to match my mood. Should I take the train to Shinjuku or Ginza to shop? Find a temple or museum? I stopped at a corner pastry shop, but the daifuku, with its azuki bean paste and sticky rice, while tasty, only reminded me of how much I wanted a Krispy Kreme. Turning around, I started to retrace my steps. “I’ll just go back to my room, work on the computer, and watch 12 hours of CNN,” I thought gloomily.

Halfway back to the hotel, I paused in front of a small pottery shop. The open doorway beckoned to me and two old women called out a welcome in unison. “Irashimase!” The beautiful Japanese handy work lining the walls and center table also drew me into the shop. I moved slowly around the small room admiring teacups, sake sets, rice and noodle bowls, teapots, chopstick holders, and sauce plates. The two women followed me with watchful eyes.

Without saying a word, I marveled at the rich colors, mainly in multiple browns and blues, with an occasional piece in deep blood red or moss green. I admired cups and bowls with traditional Japanese themes hand-painted on them, some boldly, others delicately – sailing ships, koi fish, cranes, cherry blossoms, dragonflies, and intriguing written characters whose meaning will always remain a mystery to me.

Circling the room again, I smiled at the animals etched into the children’s ware – cats, dogs, rabbits, and dragons; all recognizable, yet with a distinct Japanese artistic twist. Picking up several items, I fingered the different finishes of the pieces; the rough stoneware and the incredibly smooth porcelain, and wondered why typical American dinnerware is so predictably smooth and symmetrical. Why not uneven, and odd-shaped, and wonderfully unique like these?

My mood softened as an hour slipped away in quiet exploration. Finally, I pointed to four small blue and white bowls with a tiny painted dragonfly flitting across each center. The women prepared them in typical Japanese style – placed carefully in wooden boxes, and then beautifully wrapped, as though intended as a present especially for me.

I reached for the package, beginning to bow and back toward the door, but they motioned for me to sit. Confused, I nevertheless, sat down, while they disappeared into the back of the shop. Several moments passed, and I began to think that I had misunderstood. Just as I rose to leave, they returned with a tray and three rust-brown teacups filled with hot green tea! And so, with sweat on my forehead, I sat and drank hot tea in silence with these two old grandmotherly women…suddenly not so alone after all and not really so very far from home.

Unable to communicate through words, these two ladies touched me by sharing their tea time with me. After finding the photo of the Tokyo rooftops, I rummaged though the back of my cupboards, finding the bowls from this memorable day in Japan. They will reclaim a spot in the front of my cupboard again – ready reminders of a good day and a welcome cup of tea.

Image by Hyougushi

As business development manager for a large corporation, I have traveled multiple times from the U.S. to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, The Netherlands, Portugal, Finland, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Each trip offered its own unique challenges, some of them magnified by my status as a woman traveling alone. Learn from my mistakes and enjoy your international travel, for business and pleasure!

To Do Before You Go

1. Allow time in your schedule for missed flights, traffic jams, breakdowns, mix-ups – they will probably happen, so if you have seriously important meetings, build extra time, even extra days into your schedule.

2. Check out the weather for your destinations so that you can minimize the amount of clothes that you pack.

3. Read newspapers on the internet for a week or two to get a feel for what the major news stories are in the countries you’re visiting. Knowing something about your destinations will make conversations with the locals more interesting, and they will appreciate your efforts.

4. Read a bit about the history and culture of each destination. Find out what is culturally acceptable and unacceptable. I recommend a series of books, by country, titled “Culture Shock!”, published by Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company.

5. Make sure that your cell phone will work wherever you’re going. If not, research on the internet the codes and process for calling home from each destination. This may sound trivial, but foreign telephones can be difficult if you don’t know the systems, and depending on language barriers, you may be on your own to figure them out.

Luggage – Choose Wisely

6. Rolling bags are obvious for checked bags, but also an absolute essential for your carry-on. Forget the designer bag unless it hooks onto your rolling bag. You’ll be thankful at the airport when the airplane’s late or when you’re rushing to catch a train, or walking miles on pavement from bus to train to plane to meeting.

7. Less is best. One checked bag is better than two; two better than three; three better than… You get the picture! Remember, unless you have arrangements for someone to act as your personal porter everywhere you go, you’ll be hauling your bags through airports, on buses, in taxis, on trains, and down those long, endless sidewalks.

Clothes – Important Decisions

8. Pick one color for clothing to minimize how much you need to take. I always wear black – suits, pants, skirts, sweaters, coat, shoes. Don’t worry that your traveling companions will think you’re wearing the same thing everyday. If you’re traveling with men, they probably are! If you need some color, spice it up a bit with your tops and accessories.

9. Wear shoes that make you smile! This may seem obvious, but always choose comfort over high fashion. Most of us can’t walk fast for miles, on pavement, day after day in spike heels. Everyone’s feet are different, but I must put in a plug for Franco Sarto Bocca loafers. With their classic style and comfort, I once took a brand-new pair to Japan and smiled for ten days straight!

What Else to Pack

10. Pack your carry-on very thoughtfully, as though you won’t ever see your checked bag again, because you might not, or it may takes several days for it to catch up to you! Things to consider: computer and cords, business books and work papers, camera, chargers, electrical adaptor, basic cosmetics and toiletries, one change of underwear and clean shirt, snacks. If you have a business meeting the first day after you arrive, wear a basic, universal suit jacket as your coat on the plane just in case the checked baggage doesn’t arrive.

11. Pack small, pack lightweight. Forget the raincoat unless it’s your main coat, but do pack a very small, light umbrella. Forget the sneakers unless you’re sure you will really use them. Take the smallest sized toiletries and first aid items you can find, but do take them. In many countries, convenience stores are few and far between, plus your schedule may not allow you time to shop.

12. Take two sets of all important papers with you, separated, of course, but not in your checked bags: passport and other ID, computer files on a stick, important business papers, itinerary with contact info. Keep your passport in your bra. Only kidding, but do keep it close to you at all times!

13. Pack a lightweight, soft bag into your checked luggage for souvenir purchases or to allow for returning with more business items than you took.

Safety – Don’t Leave It Up to Chance

14. Get local cash at the airport upon arrival, including change, no matter what the exchange rate. Check out my earlier post, “Japan and Korea on $8 a day” for my true-life horror story of ending up abroad without cash!

15. Get business cards from your hotels and your business contacts. Show the cards to taxi drivers; many drivers only speak their native language. If you are walking and get confused about your location, ask for directions immediately, quietly, and in a crowd by using the cards as reference.

16. Leave copies of your itinerary, including telephone numbers for hotels and customers with your family and colleagues. If you are traveling by yourself and have no in-country contacts who are expecting to see you each day, check in with your family or colleagues at least once daily by email or phone. If this isn’t possible due to the country you are in or due to your schedule, don’t tell them that you will do so.

17. Keep the contact information of native business people (customers, suppliers, colleagues) with you at all times, even if you don’t know them well. Their business connection with you, no matter how slim may offer your best chance for advice and help in case of an emergency.

18. Dress conservatively for business and during your free time. Minimize the amount of jewelry you take and leave your expensive stuff home. Blend in with the natives, if possible. It’s not only safer, but you’ll also get a more natural and relaxed response from those around you.

19. Know where you are and where you are going. Study your maps before you go out. Map out routes from the airport to your hotel, from your hotel to your meeting places, etc. Scope out the major tourist attractions, cathedrals, museums, government buildings, major street names, and any other landmarks that will help orient yourself to your surroundings. Again, you’ll be safer, but at the same time, you’ll be rewarded by your efforts as you begin to feel at home in a strange place!

For Travel, For Life

20. Relax, experience, and enjoy. As stressful and physically taxing as travel almost always is, try to keep your sense of adventure alive on every trip. Even after the initial thrill fades with return trips to the same location, keep your eyes and mind open to learning new words, trying new foods, seeing new sights. Attitude influencing experience – choose to be positive and you will be rewarded.

Hopefully, these tips will help to free your mind and body to appreciate each and every day of your journey until the time arrives when home beckons. Do you have other tips that you’ve found helpful in your business travels? If so, please pass them along in the comments section!

Image by tamaki

“Here, take this. I won’t need it when I get to Japan,” I said to my husband right before going through security at the airport. I handed him $300 in cash and my personal credit card, gave him a kiss and hug, and thus began my seventh business trip to Asia. International travel can be challenging, but I felt confident and calm as I climbed the airplane steps for the long journey from small-town Towanda to big-city Tokyo.

Nineteen hours later, I shuffled slowly along with the other weary passengers heading for customs at Narita Airport. “Ten days; this is the longest business trip I’ve ever taken,” I thought as I passed by the foreign currency counter, knowing that I could get yen at the hotel using my credit card. I headed straight for the bus counter to buy a ticket for the Keio Plaza Hotel – 1200 yen or about $12, cash only. Safely on the bus, I dozed during the ninety-minute ride.

“I am sorry, but we cannot do currency exchange with a credit card,” the young women at the hotel counter said early the next morning. “Rats,” I thought, “The other hotel I’ve stayed at in Tokyo would do it.” I quickly counted the cash in my wallet, finding that after paying for the bus ticket, I now had $68 left, enough for about 6800 yen. “OK”, I thought, “This won’t be a big problem; I’ll just find an ATM machine sometime today.” Looking up, I spotted Mr. Ando, our business representative in Japan and our busy day began.

On our way to the train station, we detoured into the bus terminal to find an ATM that would accept U.S. cards, but my pin number didn’t register. I called my husband and a co-worker in hopes of verifying the number, but neither could find my paper with the number. Frustrated, but only slightly concerned, we spent the day between meetings in taxis and trains, with no time to stop at a bank. Fares for the day amounted to 2800 yen, which took my cash down to a measly 4000 yen. Maybe tomorrow……

The next day, I called the bank that issued my credit card, but they couldn’t verify my pin. They offered to send me a new pin in seven to ten days. Scratch that idea! Without revealing the full seriousness of my situation, I told Mr. Ando that I wanted to stop at a bank. We found a few minutes to do so, but the bank wouldn’t issue money to me without the pin number! After shucking out more coins for train fares that day, my funds were down to 1400 yen, with six more days looming ahead before returning to the land of easy cash. “Tomorrow, I’m on my own in Tokyo with almost no money, among 12 million strangers,” I thought. “Oh well,” as I turned out the light to sleep. “I’ll worry about that tomorrow.”

Up early the next morning, I decided to take a taxi to my customer’s office so that I could charge the fare rather than pay cash on the train. I carefully chose a taxi with credit card symbols on the window. When we arrived, I handed my card to the driver, but he shook his head and pointed at his card reader. It took me a moment to realize that it was broken. He needed cash! I sheepishly told my customer of my dilemma, and he graciously paid the fare.

After the meeting, I walked up the street to the Royal Park Hotel where I’d stayed during previous visits, convinced that my money problems were over. “We are very sorry, but we cannot issue funds on credit cards unless you are a guest,” the lady at the counter told me apologetically. For the first time, I felt a slight wave of panic, and with a heavy heart, I parted with the rest of my yen for the train trip back to the Keio Plaza.

After a good night’s rest, I awoke feeling quite optimistic, knowing that I would be able to get currency after my flight to Korea, either at the airport or at the hotel. On board the flight to Seoul, I talked with a gentleman from Indiana who was also traveling on business. We swapped stories of our work and families, plus I told him the sad tale of my cash troubles. When we left the plane, he handed me a 50-dollar bill and his business card. I didn’t argue too much with him, since it was a bit unsettling to land in Korea with only $2.40 in change in my pockets!

My optimism faded at the foreign currency counter at the Incheon Airport. They required cash to make an exchange, so I could only get $50 worth of Korean won. The hotel exchange desk proved to be a bust too, requiring cash to do an exchange. Somewhat discouraged by the latest failed attempts to get cash, I nevertheless relaxed in Seoul the next day. I shopped the afternoon away in Itaewon, paying for new luggage and an antique wooden jewelry box with my company card – not per company policy, but this trip was an exception! (Yes, I did pay for these myself once I got home!).

Customer visits on day eight went well, without any need for cash, so I began to think that the 50000 won in my pocket might be just enough to get home without the need to panhandle. It helped my attitude that 50000 won sounded like a heck of a lot more money than $50! Despite my positive thoughts, I decided that I’d try one more time to secure additional funds. I stopped at a bank that was very willing to issue won on my credit car without a pin, but I left empty-handed. Why? I had violated one of the top 10 travel rules – keep your passport with you at all times! I had left it in the car and there was no time to retrieve it and return to the bank. Foiled again, but only two more days to go…

My last business day took me from Seoul on the train south to Daegu. I traveled with a business agent who spoke limited English. Since we couldn’t chitchat, I didn’t tell him about my money woes, which created new suspense. At the train station, while I was trying to decipher the credit-card-accepting ticket machine, our agent was buying my ticket with cash. He expected me to pay him back with cash. So, I gave him cash – all my cash! As we rolled on down the line, I reasoned that meals could go on my credit card and the bus to the airport in the morning was free. With that settled, I relaxed and watched the beautiful Korean countryside pass by.

As we left our last customer’s office, I felt light-hearted, already anticipating the end of this 10-day adventure. Considering the events leading up to this moment, what happened next shouldn’t have surprised me. It did. When we reached the train station, our agent asked for my money for the return trip to Seoul! “You’ve got to be kidding me!” I thought. “The money that I gave you this morning was only for a one-way ticket?” I asked, my stomach starting to churn a bit. Sure enough, it was the end of the line and there was nothing left to do but beg. I threw myself at his mercy and after much hand-signaling and mis-communication, he finally realized that I was penniless. He would have to trust me to repay him or leave me stranded in Daegu. Fortunately, he paid, and I hopped on the train back to Seoul.

Day ten of this adventure meant backtracking my way home; Seoul to Tokyo to Detroit to Elmira to Towanda. In Detroit during a layover, I stood in line waiting for a bagel and rummaged for the U.S. coins on the bottom of my pocketbook. Problem? The bagel cost $2.45, and the change totaled just two-forty. I turned to the man behind me in line and asked, “Do you have a nickel?” That’s Japan and Korea on $8 a day plus five cents!

When I told this story to my family, they assumed that I was terribly stressed during this trip. Surprisingly though, except for a few moments of distress, I always felt that things would work out OK. And they did. Was this just due to dumb luck? I don’t think so. I believe that most people are basically kind-hearted and willing to help someone in need. Yes, I mailed money back to each of these kind souls, but I know that each helped me without total assurance of that. Trusting in the goodness of others can help us through troubled times. Now, if I only knew who that man in Detroit was so that I could return his nickel!

Image by HYG_a2c

“It must be nice traveling to Europe for work,” is a typical comment from some of my office-bound colleagues, spoken with just a hint of sarcasm. They probably imagine that a typical business trip involves boat rides down the Danube or candle-lit dinners in Paris. In reality, business travel offers mixed blessings; opportunities to experience new worlds, but often with little time to spend more than fleeting moments outside dark, smoke-filled meeting rooms. Traveling alone brings its own unique challenges as I found during one of my first business trips to Germany.

An early warning bell that the trip might go poorly sounded on my way to the airport. I discovered my husband’s cell phone charger in my bag, and I couldn’t find a phone cable for my computer. Undaunted, I bought a new charger and a phone cable, both at top dollar in the Tampa airport. I needed to work on my presentation before my second meeting in Germany, so I tried signing on, but the cable was not the correct one. Unfortunately, there wasn’t time to return the cable, so I borrowed another cable from a stranger. I still couldn’t sign into my company’s secure site! Oh well, I figured that I’d be able to connect at the Philadelphia airport. No luck there either. Plus, I had extra time to worry about whether I’d have time to tweak my presentation, since the plane left Philly two hours late…as usual. Are planes ever on time in Philly?

The flight to Munich passed quickly, but once on the ground, things deteriorated quickly. I immediately discovered that my cell phone wouldn’t work in Germany (no need for the high-dollar charger after all). Then, my initial relief about finding the right train vanished as I bypassed my stop, not once, but twice because I couldn’t figure out how to open the train door! Don’t they always open automatically? Embarrassed and frustrated, I hauled my three suitcases across the tracks and backtracked the two stops, where I found a pay phone to call my customer. It wouldn’t take my credit card, and I didn’t have the right coins. A stranger helped, but by the time I met my customer, I had been up for twenty-seven hours and looked and felt well-worn. By the time I reached my hotel, it was thirty-one hours. I reminded myself to tell my colleagues that there was no time for a raft trip down the River Isar!

At the hotel, the voltage converter that I brought wouldn’t work, so I trudged back down to the front desk to borrow one. Back in my room, I tried to call home, but the phone system wouldn’t allow use of international company phone numbers – I’d have to pay top-dollar for phone calls. The computer cable didn’t work, so I had to get dressed again and go to the front desk to sign up for wireless. I finally got through on the phone to my company IT group to ask for help signing into our system, but they couldn’t help immediately. So, bleary-eyed and fuzzy-brained, I stayed up for three more hours to redo the presentation in case the original one didn’t come through. Exhausted, I fell into bed thirty-six hours after waking up in the U.S.

Up just four short hours later, I washed my hair, but guess what? The hotel hair dryer didn’t work! Then, too late, I remembered that most European hotels don’t provide irons, so I used the wet-washcloth, wrinkle-removal method on my suit. Other than my slightly soggy appearance, my presentation went well except for blowing out a lamp because of the voltage difference. After the long, tiring day of meetings, dinner meant more serious business discussions, no candlelight or caviar. I finally dragged myself back to the hotel by train, arriving at 10:00 at night at the closest stop to my hotel, which was four blocks away. As I stepped off the platform, rain welcomed me onto the sidewalk. I walked the four long blocks in the rain with no umbrella, of course, an end to two typical days of business travel. As my colleagues say, it must be nice!

I’ll follow up in another post with some tips for international travel, some of them specifically for women, traveling alone. With better preparation, you can minimize your travel challenges and even find ways to have fun, but don’t tell your colleagues!