When working remote, it can be so easy to fall into routine. Wake up, work, eat, go to sleep, and repeat again until the weekend. Having caught myself in this cycle by the end of January, I decided that February would be the complete opposite, so I planned a 16-day, 1,800-mile road trip!
The first leg was driving from Bethlehem, PA to Pittsburgh, PA where I’d spend the next 5 days catching up with old college pals and spending time with close friends. The best part about going back to Pitt is being able to eat at all my old favorites – Pigeon for breakfast, La Gourmandine for lunch, and Gaucho’s Steak House for dinner. I even got to add to this list after my friends and I went for a whiskey tasting at Wigley. There were so many options, and the food was great. To wrap up my Pittsburgh travels, I spent the last day with Leah McQuillan, Ideba’s newest employee and a close friend! Her home turned into our office for the day, and her two-year-old son was the most adorable co-worker to have around.
Next, it was off to Kent, OH for a quick visit with one of my Greek Orthodox friends, Elaina. We were together for just under 24 hours, but it was plenty of time to catch up and see her newest art pieces – she studies art education so her apartment is a museum of all the masterpieces she has done for classes.
Now the next stop was originally supposed to be Chicago but because it is such a long drive and the weather was terrible, I took a pit stop in Fort Wayne, IN. After work that following day, it was off to Chicago for the Greek Orthodox conference. I got to see friends from across the country who haven’t seen in years!
At this point, the ability to work remotely has allowed me to travel 800 miles in 10 days!
The second half of my journey begins with the easiest drive of the whole trip from Chicago to Cincinnati. Here, I stayed with one of my lifelong friends, Christina. Her job is hybrid also – between in-person and remote – so on the days she was home, we were able to work and spend time together. After my time in Cincinnati, I made the longest trek of the trip to Lexington, VA. Here I stayed with family and spent the time after work and on the weekends hiking the many trails through the Appalachian Mountains.
At the end of this journey while driving home to Bethlehem, the advantage of working remote really became apparent. I was able to see SO many people I haven’t seen in years and experience new cities all in 16 days. The key to these kinds of road trips is to work early, appreciate the people around you in the evening, and drive at night. This is what I hope will be the first of many adventures to come this year. If you have any suggestions as to where I go next, in the USA or even abroad, email me at christinal@idebamarketing.com, and I will add it to my list!
-Christina Lavin, Research Analyst
