As promised, here’s the second part of my “interview” with John. If you haven’t had the chance to read Part 1, start here! He’s already talked about parenting, marriage, and life miscellany. Part Two is all about work and travel.
WORK
Q. You travel a lot – any places you’ve been for work that you can’t wait to bring Elisabeth and the kids to see too?
That’s tough. I honestly wish I could take my family everywhere with me. But of the places I’ve been for work that we haven’t visited together, I’d put Japan at the top of the list. It’s just so different. [This is at the top of Belle’s list, too!]
Before I met Elisabeth, I travelled extensively for work. In that context, it would be taking my family to Africa. Specifically, Tanzania and Rwanda (going this June was technically my second time in Rwanda).
Q. What’s the hardest part about travelling so often for work? The best part?
The hardest part is missing things. Kid sporting events and performances, church services, special days. I try hard not to miss holidays or birthdays! [It seems to be cyclical. He often misses Christmas concerts and Mother’s Day, but he’s never once been away over Halloween.]
The other part I really struggle with is maintaining a healthy diet and exercise routines. I’m often flying on red-eye flights to Europe, landing and heading right into meetings all day, with partner, client or team lunches and dinners. Since I try to pack a lot into my days, there is very little time (and even less energy) to exercise. I try to walk as much as I can, but it definitely throws those routines out of whack.
The best part? I really enjoy meeting and connecting with new people and exploring new cultures. I often tell people that my niche is the intersection of business and culture and technology. Where those three things meet is where you’ll find me.
Also, it’s awesome to get to travel around the world. What a privilege!
Q. If you were forced to quit your job today, what’s your dream job?
First, I’m very close to my dream job.
But, I would love to do a lot of the same things in a purely humanitarian setting. I want to use the skills and experience I have from the technology/business world to help build capacity in developing economies.
I definitely have a soft spot for Africa. I really like getting to come alongside and facilitate growth and encourage people. Especially if it’s a culture different from my own.
Q. Given how much you travel, can you sleep on planes? Any travel strategies for staying fresh while traveling?
Rarely. Even when flying business class, I’m lucky if I get 2-3 hours of poor sleep. If you sleep well on a plane it’s a gift (and I don’t have it). [I don’t have this “gift” either and I am always tremendously jealous when I see people nod off to sleep when we’re taking off and wake looking refreshed right before touchdown.]
I often have to travel in business attire (i.e. I’m not wearing sweatpants), but I try to wear the most comfortable version of those things. I don’t change into my travel clothes until I’m leaving the house…(and I shower right before getting dressed) and I take off my sports jacket as soon as I’m on the plane.
I always have my toothbrush accessible, so I brush my teeth before leaving a plane.
I drink a lot of water (I now take a water bottle with me so I always have it when needed).
I know, I know…but a key to my success has been energy drinks. I don’t consume these often at home, but when I travel, they become especially important in powering through my first day. Since I’m almost always landing in the early morning with a stacked day ahead, I will consume one or two to stay sharp. Coffee just doesn’t do it for me (not enough caffeine, plus I don’t really enjoy it outside of my home). It’s essential to stay awake until a normal bedtime to reset my “travel body clock” to the new time zone. Jetlag doesn’t affect me as much when I do this.
I think one of my other big strategies for “freshness” is my approach to getting home. Instead of leaving super early in the morning to fly east, I leave the night before from wherever I am in Europe and make it to London and stay there overnight. That means when I get up in the morning, I’m able to shower, head to the airport at a more reasonable time and only have one flight home. Breaking up my travel by going part of the distance the night before is a go-to strategy. [Another perk of this strategy is he tends to arrive home mid-afternoon so he doesn’t have to battle to stay awake as long, and he’s able to see the kids before their bedtime.]
Q. I’m the traveling spouse in my marriage, although I travel far less than you and for shorter trips (both in terms of distance and length of trip). Are there things you do to make life easier for Elisabeth or things you do when you get back to offset all the solo parenting she has done? My biggest challenge with work travel is how hard it is for my husband when I am away (our kids are 4 and 7). I don’t worry about the kids or the impact of my travel on them – I worry most about the challenges Phil faces while I am away. [From Lisa!]
When I get home, I try to do something where I take the kids solo for an extended period of time (hours). I’ll often pack them up in the car and head to Halifax to run errands so Elisabeth can stay home alone (she prefers to be home alone after I’ve been away).
I largely choose my dates and do all my own travel booking, so I try to pick flight times and routes that will minimize the time away and/or when I get home. I try to be able to go to church (I often leave from there after the morning service). I try to get home before the kids are in bed. It doesn’t always work out, but if there are options, I always aim to take the one that will put the least amount of pressure on Elisabeth and the kids.
[Two observations as the spouse at home. First, it is a lot easier now that the kids are older. They can do more things independently and in general need me less. Second, the job John is in now and the fact he basically only goes to Europe and not also the US/Asia like he did in his previous job makes a huge difference. For years he regularly left the house at 3 am and would get home after midnight and that. was. HARD. Now the kids are awake to say goodbye and he almost never gets home late at night. If anyone is curious to hear a lot more from my perspective, here’s a big ol’ blog post I wrote on the topic.]
LEISURE TRAVEL
Q. If your family could all just pack up and go live somewhere else for six months, where would you go and why? (And we’ll assume that all the annoying things about moving and hassles with jobs and schooling etc are just non-existent so it would be easy to do and practical considerations about work and school don’t have to factor in.)
Europe.
There are many places I’d like to live for 6 months, but in Europe you can reach so many different places easily and economically. There’s a rich diversity of cultures packed into a small area.
I was born in Europe (Portugal) and Europe is in my blood. I’d really like our kids to experience living in another culture for an extended period and to better appreciate their European heritage!
Q. What’s your favorite place you’ve ever visited? Why?
That’s hard. I think Italy. It’s a struggle to find bad food in Italy. The climate and general culture are lovely. The ancient history is fascinating.
I also loved Fiji (it was like paradise), but so different. I don’t think I’d want to live in Fiji forever. It’s a great place to visit, but I could see myself living in Italy long-term.
Q. If you could retire anywhere in the world, where would you want to retire?
Italy?
But in reality it would be more likely to be the south of Portugal which would be more economical and easier since that’s where I was born.
Q. I have one week in Finland and I would like five things to do (active is always a plus). What should they be (rapid fire style!)?
[John works all over Europe, but his company is headquartered in Finland, so that is a regular destination.]
- Swim in the sea and sauna at Löyly sauna.
- Hop on a train to Tampere and watch a pro hockey game.
- Bike (or walk) along the amazing trails that zig-zag the waterfront in both Helsinki and Espoo (which are like sister cities).
- Take a boat and head to one of the 100,000+ archipelago islands. I recently went to Pentala Island! It’s a bonus when you can get to an island that has old wooden buildings (often red).
- While I’ve not done this myself (it’s on my list), visit Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi.
AFRICA
Q. What were your five favorite things about your recent trip to Africa?
- I loved picking up specific pieces of language (Kinyarwanda) that allowed me to connect with people in a meaningful and humorous way (humour is my favourite mode of connection). I learned how to tell people how hard they were working. There’s a polite smile (when you say hello in their language), but when I came out with a cheeky sentence in Kinyarwandan, their eyes would sparkle (and so would mine).
- I appreciated hearing the local stories of resilience and reconciliation. It’s unimaginable what they’ve had to go through. Many of the people I met would have been orphaned by the genocide. And almost everyone I met was likely in some way involved on one side or the other.
- No government, let alone our own, gets everything right. But I have to say that Rwanda has done an exceptional job in creating one of the safest countries in Africa and one in which you see a very high participation rate in the workforce and economy. I’d see people being paid to keep the city clean and safe. This was their job, they were proud to do it, and it contributes to the overall function of the country. High participation rate leads to a more satisfied and stable population.
- The landscape. Having been to Tanzania for an extended period of time (and Rwanda being its neighbour), I thought I had an idea of the landscape. But I now understand why Rwanda is known as the Land of 1,000 Hills. I joked that there wasn’t a straight road in the whole country! It was beautiful and we literally went to all four corners of Rwanda.
- Attending church services. The term “worship” might not be well known and understood, especially outside of faith circles. But if I was ever to envision what worship will look like in Heaven, this was much closer than any other human attempts I’ve seen in my life. The services would include half a dozen different choirs singing. Their sense of rhythm and movement was beautiful. And they were so joyful; both their voices and their actions – it truly felt like an offering or gift that they were presenting.
Q. Are you feeling better now? (I sure hope so!)
Yes! [We still don’t know what made him feel so sick, but all the testing came back negative and within a few weeks he was back to normal, praise the Lord!]
And that’s a wrap. Thanks again to everyone for submitting questions and welcoming John into this space.
Now it’s your turn.
- Any questions for John?
- Plane travel — can you sleep on flights, or are you a zombie when you land?
- If you could live abroad for six months with no practical barriers, where would you go?
- Do you have any go-to strategies for staying fresh or adjusting to jetlag when you travel?
- Have you ever had a travel experience that shifted your worldview in a big way?
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Yay for Part 2! I loved hearing John’s take on work and travel. Rwanda is high on my list of African countries to visit (and “The Land of 1,000 Hills” must be an epic place to run!)
I don’t manage to look fresh when I travel – but at least I’m lucky enough to sleep in Economy!
I think I’d pick Spain to spend 6 months abroad. Sunshine, mountains, and tapas sound like a pretty perfect combo. Where would you settle in if you had half a year to spare?
Being able to sleep is such a gift. I really, really wish I had it!
Spain is lovely!
I have a feeling John will NOT read the comments, so I think if he could live any one place for 6 months it would probably be Italy? Long-term, I think the south of Portugal! And I’d be happy to live anywhere from December – May that is NOT cold and snowy.
It seems that John and I can work together too, hehehe…
I can’t sleep much on flights unless it’s business class where I can fully lie down. yet I will still suffer jet lag for a week or two so I don’t like traveling across time zones. I travel comfortably always even it’s a day work trip. I prefer to change at the destination.
tanzania was where my world view has shifted a bit, that was 2011 before I started working. since then every country I go I learn more about the world, the challenge of development.
Yes, he definitely sleeps better in business class! I’ve never flown with a lie down, so I’m curious to see if I’d fare better. I kind of doubt it. I think all the noise and distractions would wake me up as I’m a fairly light sleeper.
Thank you for sharing so much , John! It’s such a different life than mine.
Rwanda looks beautiful. I can remember the times of the ethnic genocide in the 90s. I’m glad it’s come so far in terms of stability.
There are reminders everywhere about the genocide to serve as warnings to never repeat the same tragic history. It is incredible how seriously they have taken resolution, though there are many wounds (physical and emotional) left by the atrocities, of course.
This was SO fun to read! Thank you, Elisabeth and John, for giving us this peek into John’s work/travel life! I love the photos and stories about your experiences in Rwanda, John — your admiration and appreciation for the people and culture are palpable.
My daughter is convinced that we need to go to Japan for our next family trip! Perhaps we’ll see you there. 😉
I fall asleep instantly any time I get on an airplane — I’m sure it’s an anxiety response! But I NEVER feel like I get good sleep or feel refreshed. I’m in and out of sleep the whole time and it’s very disorienting.
Ha! Belle is so keen to try Japan. I’m not sure why it’s captured her attention. It would be hilarious to meet up with you in another foreign destination.
I am always amazed when people fall asleep on planes. They make it look so easy! Our kids aren’t plane sleepers either, so maybe it’s genetic?
So interesting – thank you for sharing so broadly. It sure seems like you two make a lovely couple in all ways! John might like to read A HARE IN THE ELEPHANT’s TRUNK…
Yes indeed! What a great idea!
Great questions and answers once again! That’s some good, practical advice about travel- yes, I can see how energy drinks would be a lifesaver. I would love to know, since he doesn’t usually sleep on flights, what John does like to do while he’s flying (read? watch movies?) Anyway… really fun to read about John’s life, which is so unique and different from my own!
He watches movies and documentaries. For the most part, he’s seen everything on the plane entertainment system, so he always downloads things from Netflix and Disney and watches that on his iPad. (He works before he boards while in the lounge, but rarely works while on the plane.)
Haha, we can all retire to Portugal. Honestly, it seems pretty great from my parents’ experience.
People in Southern Europe know how to relax and enjoy the good life. I think retiring in Portugal sounds pretty awesome!
John’s answer to my question about how he makes life easier for you validates that I’m doing as much as I can to lighten Phil’s load. I struggle so much with the guilt!
I have never flown first class for an overnight flight but I think I could possibly sleep on an overnight flight if I could lay down. I cannot sleep more than a few hours if sitting up. Sometimes I will doze off for 20-30 min on the flight home out of pure exhaustion if I am listening to a sort of boring podcast.
I would choose to live in Paris for 6 months. That is something I hope to do when we are retired! I’d love to do an immersive language course. And then travel around Europe from that home base.
I completely understand the guilt and also wish I could take it away. I never want John to feel guilty as it’s part of his job. Is it hard? YES, but it’s also hard to be the travelling parent, too. I will also say, once again, that it DOES get easier to be the home parent as the kids get older.
Living in Paris that long would be dreamy <3
Many similarities – Matt said he would take me to Singapore first, but also Japan (NOT China lol). He still goes to Europe and Asia and the US, but the kids are grown and flown, so I feel bad about the strain on him rather than the strain on me when the kids were little (it was HARD). He has also been saying he needs to step up his exercise routine at home because the travel gets harder and harder on an aging body. He’s been walking to work, and the problem with a gym routine is that the travel will ironically make it difficult to be consistent.
Lol at missing Mother’s Day but never Halloween.
Yes! As the kids get older, I think it gets easier and easier to be the “home” parent. And eventually they’ll fly the coop (though we’re hoping he retires by that point).
Exercise is HARD on the road. Jetlag, different cultures and food traditions and timing, and the fact that he is constantly having to go to dinners (at odd hours for his internal clock). It’s not glamourous.
John is a stunning remarkable brilliant resilient adventurous thoughtful man. I am gobsmacked by your husband’s abilities and temperament. Thank you for sharing this with your readers, Elisabeth. Now I know for sure that you are just as amazing as my first impression of you (from FG blog), because “like attracts like”. Just WOW.
P.S. Belle sure does resemble her dad!
Jana, you hit the nail on the proverbial head. He is all those things and more.
I’ll take your compliment and run with it (though opposites also attract; in this case, I really do think we’re FAR more alike than we are different, though).
Belle has looked like John since Day 1!
So much travel! I like travelling but business travel is exhausting. I can sleep pretty well on planes – I have slept six hours on a seven hour flight, that sort of thing. But my secret is I take a sleeping pill! So I’m not sure if I have the gift or just the right pharmaceuticals.
Even if I take a drowsy antihistamine before a flight, I STILL cannot sleep. It’s a curse, Nicole. But, it means on my way home I get to write up all my travel blog posts and on the way there I read several books on my Kobo. So all is not lost.
This was all so interesting. It’s fun reading about someone’s adventures in places I have not seen, and likely never will 🙂
I feel the same way, sometimes! I know there will likely be many places on Earth he has travelled to/will travel to, I’ll never experience. For the most part, I’m content to hear about them vicariously. Though I’d love to accompany him more as the kids get older and more independent. Right now it’s tricky, but we’ll blink and be empty nesters, I’m sure.
I love this! I am packing my bags now for Finland! Thanks for the recommendations, although hockey is not necessarily my thing, I will still do everything on your list; the islands especially sound intriguing! I am amazed how you can hit the ground running after not sleeping on a plane; I can generally sleep a little, but even then, I never really feel rested.
This was so fun to read. Thank you for sharing your husband with us, Elisabeth!
I cannot sleep on planes, no matter how sleepy I am! It makes me nervous for my flight to London next week – I’m hoping to take some melatonin and hope for the best.
I’m like you – I want to sleep. Maybe too much, so I stress myself out thinking about how tired I’ll be? But I find the environment (stale air, constant movement and light, SLEEPING UPRIGHT) to be counter to any instinct to rest/sleep.
The payoff at the end of the flight is it’s own reward, though. And I tend to sleep well my first night in a new place.
I enjoyed this so much. I’m in awe of the fabulous places John has travelled. Wow. I can only imagine how hard it would be to be away from the family for work.
I can usually sleep on planes. Sometimes I’m nodding off when we are still on the runway. This is why I don’t do great driving long distances, I get sleepy so easily.
I’m not sure where I’d live if I could live somewhere for 6 months. Ireland would be my easy answer, but I lived there my junior year of college so I’d probably want to try somewhere else. I’d probably have to do a lot of research to find a place that offered GF options (Ireland does, because so many Irish people have celiac). I’d love to try something with a warm temperature. Maybe the south of France?
Amazing photos. I’d love to go to Africa one day.
I also don’t sleep well on car trips. But I am insanely jealous of people who can (obviously while they’re passengers, NOT drivers).
The south of France would be gorgeous. And think of the food!
Thanks to Jon for sharing about his travel and all those photos. He has been to so many interesting places. I usually sleep a little bit on the plane because I have to take travel sickness tablets, which make me drowsy. I really like arriving in a place in the middle of the afternoon because you can have a look around and a nice meal, but you don’t have too long before you can hop into bed. If I could live abroad, it would be somewhere in Europe because there are so many opportunites to see different cultures in a small place.
I read this earlier and forgot to comment – probably because I fainted when I saw the photo of the HUGE spider! It was so interesting to read about John’s work life. What fascinating, amazing experiences! I don’t have any tips about staying well-rested when traveling because I’m an absolute slug after any amount of time on an airplane. I don’t think I’m cut out for all the time changes involved in a traveling job. Thank you for sharing so much!
You and me both, Michelle. Better him than me with that spider. When he was in Tanzania for work he said you always had to shake out your shoes in the morning to make sure scorpions or giant spiders hadn’t crawled in overnight (I think one of his colleagues didn’t and got burned by the poison from an insect?). NO THANK YOU!!!!
This was a great second half. I’m not sure I could handle all that traveling, but as John says, there is so much to learn and see in our world.
I’ve only been able to sleep on one long trip, and it was because it was overnight, and I had the lay-flat seats — I might have slept six hours straight, which was a miracle to me. (New Zealand)
I really like hearing that Rwanda is doing a good job with its communities. I’ve only ever read how the African government is corrupt, and that is what keeps people from progressing.
Ahhh just as great and educational as the first one.
I guess I still don’t understand what John is doing exactly but maybe it’s not important. It sounds interesting though.
If I had the chance to live in a. country for six months with ne barrier it would be Finland I think. Obviously I can’t speak the language so that would be my first choice. Otherwise if lunges was a limiting factor I think I would choose Canada.
I don’t understand fully what he does either, so that makes two of us!