The Reluctant Road Warrior

The adventures of a Silicon Valley engineer in the US and abroad

Ever dream of traveling the world for fun and profit? Do you imagine tropical islands, palm trees, white sandy beaches, friendly natives and slow, quiet days with the occasional phone call or email? Forget about it. A job that requires travel can be one of the most frustrating, arduous, lonely and downright dangerous ways to make a living. Crazy customers, unfamiliar food (if you want to call it that), filth, disease, insane drivers, increasingly difficult air travel and the occasional guided missile attack make the Road Warrior life a living hell. Then, once you get there you have to do your job! What if they won’t let you leave? Can you plan a cunning escape without getting caught and dragged back to the salt mines? But at least the money is good and someone else is paying the bill. If you are clever you can live a pretty good life on someone else’s dime, as long as you don’t fudge the expense report and get fired for ripping off the company.