Re-Entry

My job requires long hours and frequent travel; that is when I'm working. I'm an independent contractor and do not have constant employment.

My last trip was scheduled to be 13 days. I flew out of Louisville to Chicago to join the team. The next morning we flew to Houston for a week-long project. On Saturday one of the guys and I drove to Dallas where we would join the team we'd work with during our second week.

Fast forward to Thursday, week two. Around 4 pm one of the corporate guys who is onsite asks me when I'm scheduled to fly home. I tell him Saturday at 1:30. Two hours later he asks me if I'd be OK if they flew me to Las Vegas to work Friday and Saturday and I'd fly home on Sunday, one day later. I quickly called my wife (I don't make decisions like that without consulting her, it's her life too!) and we both agreed the extra day of pay was good at this time in our life and one extra day away wouldn't be too strenuous on our lives.

So at 6:15 am the next morning I'm on a flight out of Austin, Texas headed to Phoenix, Arizona and then on to Las Vegas. Once onsite, it became apparent two days was not sufficient to complete the work necessary for this project. Late Saturday night I get a text asking if I would be willing to take Sunday off and stay over into the following week to help finish the project. The company would fly in additional resources to help. Once again, I called my wife and we quickly discussed the situation. We decided that as long as I could come home on Thursday (my 18th day out), it would be acceptable.

I took Sunday off, spending time with my brother-in-law, niece and nephews in Las Vegas, doing some laundry, and trying to simply relax. The "new recruits" arrived Monday morning and we worked hard through the week, finishing around 3 am Thursday morning.

I caught my flight from Las Vegas to Detroit and then on to Louisville where my lovely bride and youngest son picked me up. We stopped for Dairy Queen (my wife wanted some) on the drive home to Lexington and pretty much all went to bed once home.

Today is the fifth day since my return and I'm still struggling to find a "home rhythm" ... our work schedule is simple: 12 - 15 hour days, some food, phone calls home, maybe some email time, and sleep. Home is more complicated. Home is dishes, laundry, taking our youngest to the bus stop, being emotionally available to my family even when I'm still tired from my trip.

I'm reminded of the line from the journey song, Faithfully, that says, "Two strangers learn to fall in love again." That is what it seems like each time I'm out for long periods of time; I have to re-enter my family. I have to learn their schedules, their rhythms, their needs.

Please don't hear me complaining. I love my family and I love my job. I truly enjoy the time I'm on the jobsite and continue to hope and pray for more work. I also enjoy the time I'm home with family. Today was simply a day to reflect, a day to process this re-entry phenomenon.

My next job is a local job. I'm working on a project here in Lexington next week. It will still be the same 12 - 15 hour days, only this time I'm sleeping in my own bed. It has been a year since I did a local job, and I honestly don't remember if working locally was easier or harder on the family. In some ways I'm here, even though I'm not at dinner, not available to run that errand, not available to say goodnight to my son or my lovely bride.

I love my family and I love my job. I just hope and pray that as more work comes my way, we find a better way to face re-entry ... it is by far the hardest part of this life.