Ignorant Californian

As much as I think about how cool it would be to go on adventures, travel the world, and explore new places, in the very end, I am a big homebody.  I love having a schedule, going to familiar places, and knowing exactly what to expect.

Thus, traveling for work is not one of my favorite things.  First, work travel disrupts training.  It is hard to be a serious athlete when you are working 12 hour plant days, dining and wining with clients, or constantly catching red-eyes.  Your hotel may or may not have a tiny fitness room with one lonely treadmill and some free weights.  It is so important, however, that you do something active during your travels.  Something, anything to maintain your fitness level.

Second, work travel disrupts eating.  Many times, it is difficult to eat out healthy without sounding like a complete health nut, insane calorie-watching woman, and stereotypical California ("Excuse me, no butter or hydrogenated fats please!").  In addition, travel can be stressful and it is so tempting to munch on candies, chips, trail mix, etc. to ease the anxiety.

Third, work travel often means driving around in unfamiliar places and navigating your way around a new town.  In my line of work, which involves manufacturing, I often find myself traveling to the Midwest and the South.  If you do not know, I am pretty much 100% Californian--born and raised in California--and I am also pretty much the stereotypical ignorant Californian.  The middle of America is one big blob in my head.  I have no sense of where North Dakota is relative to Iowa or how far east or west Michigan is from Ohio.  Ohio, Iowa, Idaho all seem the same in my head, like this. 

When I first arranged this week's trip to Ohio, I had pictured traveling to several different suppliers, all located in Ohio.  Little did I know that Ohio is no puny state!  It would take almost four hours to drive from one end of the state to the other end, about 220 miles.  In my head, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Akron were all located right next to each other.  After all, how big could Ohio be?  What an ignorant Californian!

In order to rectify my mistakes, I have learned a thing or two about Ohio.  Ohio is the seventh most populous state with a population of 11.5 million.  Ohio is on Eastern Standard Time, something that I was confused about when I got off the plane this morning; it is also the most western state in the EST zone.  The Pro Football Hall of Fame and the First Ladies National Historic Site are located in Canton, close to where I am visiting this week.  Apparently, there is also an Amish colony nearby.  The Ohio state mascot and mascot for Ohio State University is the buckeye or Aesculus glabra, which is a tree native to the Midwest. 

Now that I have learned a little bit about this new state, I think I have done my duty.  I cannot wait to get home!