Personal: ad:tech NY here I come! or… “leaving on a jet plane… again”

4 November 2007 | Internet, Marketing, Personal | Comments

As I write this,  it’s 4:20am and in a few minutes I’ll finish sipping my coffee, slip on my clothes and out the door to the airport to wing my way to ad:tech New York, which is going to be a good show.

I really dig my new job, but one downside is that I’ve done more business travel in the last two months than in the average year before this.

When I’m home here in L.A., I now work a great deal from my home office, and that has been great for my work/life balance– my family and I have more time together and day-to-day I’m less trapped in my car.

But man is my head spinning from all the time in the air. Last week I was here, but speaking at both Digital Hollywood and USC; the week before it was Northern California, the week before that New York, and the week before that Phoenix. Next week it’s back to NoCal, then a week off for Thanksgiving, then back to New York, and when I come back I have one day at home before zooming off to La Quinta. It’s a whirlwind life I’m leading right now, and so much of it is exciting, but I am looking forward to some down time in December and January.

Last night, Kathi and I went to dinner with friends and came home to two peacefully sleeping children.  I’ll be long gone before they wake up, and right now this song–even though it’s about saying goodbye to a lover rather than kids–is going through my head: Peter, Paul & Mary’s “Leaving on a Jet Plane.”

It’s in my iPod, but I don’t really need it.

All my bags are packed,
I’m ready to go
I’m standing here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye

But the dawn is breakin’,
It’s early morn
The taxi’s waitin’,
He’s blowin’ his horn
Already I’m so lonesome
I could die

(Chorus)
So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you’ll wait for me
Hold me like you’ll never let me go.
I’m leavin’ on a jet plane
I Don’t know when I’ll be back again
Oh, babe, I hate to go.

There’s so many times I’ve let you down
So many times I’ve played around
I tell you now, they don’t mean a thing

Ev’ry place I go, I’ll think of you
Ev’ry song I sing, I’ll sing for you
When I come back, I’ll wear your wedding ring.

(Chorus)

Now the time has come to leave you
One more time
Let me kiss you
Then close your eyes,
I’ll be on my way.

Dream about the days to come
When I won’t have to leave alone
About the times, I won’t have to say, 

I’m leavin’ on a jet plane
I Don’t know when I’ll be back again
Oh, babe, I hate to go.