No Pressure, Kid

Not long after I posted of my desire to go to Europe in what was to be October (a trip that would have had me flying to Amsterdam this Saturday), I was notified that the trip was off. I wasn't going to be totally heartbroken either way. It would be good to go, and it would also be good to not be away from my family for a week. So no trip, that was that, and I went on with my life.

Then, all of a sudden, last week, my boss called me and said "yeah, about that Europe trip... we might still have to go... and it might still have to be this month..." and my brain has been spinning ever since. How much notice will they give me? Can they make up their friggin' minds? What will my wife say if I casually tell her I'm flying out on Saturday?

I told Robyn later that afternoon about this possibility, and was amazed at her easy-going response. By the evening, Seher (a frequent traveller who, along with her husband and 1-year-old, is living with us) had convinced Robyn that she HAD to go with me, in that awesome London accent, of course.

"You HAHVE to go!"
Ummm... what about that bundle of joy named Aimee?!
"She could go too!"

Well, after 7 days of limbo, upper management has made up their mind. Yes, my boss and I must complete the work.

Ummm... what about the travel?

We can either try to get the work done from Cincinnati or we can travel to accomplish the job. It's up to us. And since I'm the one who did it last year, my boss has decided that it's up to me to decide whether the travel is necessary.

My decision? Undecided. If I think the job can be done from Cincinnati, I'll do it from here. It will cost the company multiple thousands of dollars in airfare and hotel and meals to send my boss and me across the pond. And I'm pretty sure my boss would rather not travel in mid-December if he doesn't have to. But can it be done remotely? I kinda doubt it...

I better decide soon. If I'm going, so are my wife and my daughter (sorry, Toby), and they would need passports, and those things take time. I think I hope I decide that we have to go. I have a week of vacation left and, well, it might be fun to spend it in Europe with my wife and fussy, screaming infant. No, wait, that part actually might not be much fun.

Why are they making the new guy make this decision?! Do I not have enough stress in my life?!