Travel For Work Perceptions
Introduction: Stranded in Pokhara
Not long ago, I found myself stranded in Pokhara. I was supposed to return home on the morning of the 8th November, 2025 but days passed and I remained there – held back by the Gen-Z agitation that had disrupted movement across Nepal.
The city was under semi-curfew, and movement was heavily restricted. While social media was full of reports and rumors of widespread vandalism across the country Pokhara was no exception. That evening, from my hotel balcony, I watched in disbelief as nearby properties were vandalised and set on fire. I was told that a hotel on Lane 14 had been set on fire. Flames lit up the night sky, and the thought that refused to leave my mind was simple but terrifying – could my hotel be the next target?
To someone sitting in a back office, it might have sounded like a blessing in disguise: extra days in one of the country’s most beautiful cities, time to relax by the lakeside, and perhaps even a few leisurely walks with mountain views. From the outside, it could easily be mistaken for a holiday.
But the reality was different. My schedule was in disarray, my family waited anxiously at home, and every passing day brought unanswered obligations and uncertainty. What looked glamorous from a distance was, in truth, stressful and frightening. That experience became a reminder of a larger truth: the life of a travelling employee is far more burdened than it appears to those who only see it from the outside.
The Back Office View: A Perception of Glamour
From the perspective of someone working in a fixed office, travel seems like escape. It offers variety, movement, and an element of adventure that breaks monotony.
“They get to see new cities.”
“They must be enjoying dinner at the best hotels.”
“At least their work isn’t as repetitive as ours.”
Such assumptions are common in office corridors. After all, it’s easy to believe that travelling means blending work with leisure, with the added bonus of exposure and visibility. For many in the back office, being sent on an assignment outside feels like a privilege.
But perception and reality rarely walk hand in hand.
The Traveller’s Reality: Behind the Curtain of Glamour
What looks enviable from the outside is often draining on the inside. Travelling employees live in a world where glamour is fleeting, but fatigue is constant.
Exhausting journeys
Travelling employees spend countless hours on the road or in the air. Long drives through traffic, delayed flights, and unpredictable weather mean work often begins with exhaustion. What seems like ‘a quick trip’ – to the back office may take 12 hours door-to-door, with only a brief window left for actual meetings.
Untimely meals – or none at all
The image of fine dining is far from reality. In truth, many travelling employees eat whatever they can grab between meetings, sometimes skipping meals altogether. Lunch often becomes a snack at a fuel station, dinner is delayed until midnight after back-to-back client calls, and breakfast is rushed in a moving taxi. Over time, this irregular routine takes a toll on both energy and health.
Loneliness disguised as luxury
A hotel room, however well-furnished cannot replace the warmth of home. Meals are often eaten alone, phone calls with family are rushed between meetings and evenings are spent staring at unfamiliar ceilings. What outsiders see as comfort, insiders feel as isolation.
Performance under pressure
Travelling is not just about being present, it’s about representing the company in front of clients, dealers, and partners. Every handshake, every word spoken, every decision made reflects directly on the organisation. Unlike back-office mistakes, which can sometimes be corrected quietly – traveller errors are public and immediate.
Health takes the hit
Skipped meals, disrupted sleep, long hours in transit, and poor diet are constant companions. The long-term impact often shows up as stress, weight issues, or chronic fatigue hidden beneath the polished appearance of the ‘glamorous’ traveller.
Case Story 1: Ramesh, the Road Warrior
Ramesh, a regional sales manager, is often envied by his back-office peers. “Lucky fellow,” they say, “he gets to travel, meet new people, and eat in fancy places.”
But the truth is starkly different. Last Monday, Ramesh left home at 5 a.m. to drive eight hours across the highway to attend two dealer meetings. Breakfast was just a cup of tea at a roadside stall, lunch never happened because the meeting ran late and by the time he had dinner it was close to midnight at a roadside eatery. He reached his hotel exhausted, with just enough energy to reply to urgent emails before collapsing into bed.
While his colleagues imagined him enjoying a ‘business trip’, Ramesh had gone 16 hours with barely a proper meal. The glamour was only in the imagination of others.
The Added Burden of Women Who Travel
For female employees, travelling for work carries not just the usual pressures of fatigue and deadlines but also the weight of social judgement.
At the workplace
While male colleagues are often applauded for being ‘mobile’ and ‘flexible’, women can be asked, “Why does she have to travel so much?” or “Can’t someone else go?” This subtle bias casts doubt on their dedication, even when they are delivering beyond expectations.
At home and in society
Outside the office, the stigma can be sharper. A woman travelling alone for work may be unfairly judged as ‘neglecting her family’ or ‘living a carefree life’. Relatives and neighbours may whisper, attaching suspicion or trivialising her professionalism as indulgence.
The glamour stereotype intensified
If a male traveller is assumed to be ‘working hard’, a female traveller is often assumed to be ‘enjoying herself’. What is in truth a stressful, exhausting routine gets painted as leisure and she must work doubly hard to prove her credibility.
Case Story 2: Priya, the Professional on Trial
Priya, a senior marketing executive frequently travels to organise product launches. She delivers presentations flawlessly, manages clients with poise and often works late into the night to finalise event details.
Yet, back at the office, whispers follow her. “She must be enjoying all those hotel stays,” someone remarks. At home, an aunt once asked her mother, “Doesn’t your daughter feel guilty leaving her kids behind?”
The reality? On her last trip, Priya skipped dinner entirely while fixing last-minute arrangements for an event. She returned to her hotel room too tired to eat, only to wake up early for a 6 a.m. client breakfast. What people call ‘glamorous travel’ felt to Priya like a test of endurance.
Case Story 3: Travelling in Times of Conflict
The hardships of travelling for work are not new. During the Maoist insurgency in Nepal, I often had to travel across districts at a time when communication was fragile and uncertain. In the early years, there were no mobile phones – no easy way to inform my family whether I had reached safely, or whether I would even be able to return on time.
Back at home my wife carried the invisible weight of worry. Not knowing my whereabouts for days at a stretch, she began biting her nails out of sheer anxiety. For her, every knock on the door carried the fear of bad news.
To the outside world my travels might have looked like routine work trips. But in reality, every journey was marked by risk, silence and the heavy cost of uncertainty. It was not just I who bore the hardship but also my family whose peace of mind was quietly eroded by the circumstances of my profession.
Case Story 4: Stranded on the Highway
There are moments in a travelling employee’s life that test not just patience but endurance. I still remember being stranded on a highway for eight long hours due to a landslide. There was nothing to eat, nothing to drink, and no way to rest. Vehicles stood still in both directions, engines turned off and frustration hung heavily in the air.
Back-office colleagues might picture this as an extended roadside break. The truth was far harsher. Hunger gnawed, thirst burned, and fatigue settled in as the night dragged on without sleep. By the time the road finally cleared, I was too drained to even think straight, let alone conduct business with clarity.
Experiences like these, strip away every illusion of glamour. They remind us that the road of a travelling employee is not lined with adventure – it is littered with exhaustion, uncertainty, and sacrifices invisible to those who imagine it from afar.
The Quiet Sacrifices of Travellers
What the back office may not see, whether for men or women is the cost of constant movement:
Missing a child’s birthday because of a client dinner.
Cancelling family plans due to last-minute trips.
Returning home too late to share a meal with loved ones.
Eating badly or not at all on days packed with back-to-back travel and meetings.
The traveller’s life is not simply about reaching destinations – it is about carrying the weight of responsibility while leaving behind fragments of personal life. For women, this sacrifice is often multiplied by the need to constantly justify their travel.
The Irony of Envy
Here lies the irony: while the back office envies the traveller’s movement, many travellers quietly envy the stability of their desk-bound colleagues.
A predictable routine.
Evenings at home with family.
Healthier lifestyles with space for exercise and hobbies.
What one side sees as monotony, the other sees as stability. Yet in the constant exchange of perceptions, it is often the traveller’s hardships, especially those of women that remain invisible.
Why Travelling Employees Deserve More Empathy
The truth is simple: both roles matter, but the burden is not equal. Back-office employees face monotony, invisibility, and sometimes under-recognition. But they also enjoy the anchor of routine, the comfort of going home daily and the security of being present in familiar surroundings.
Travelling employees on the other hand shoulder the dual weight of performance and sacrifice. They represent the company externally, face unpredictable challenges daily and often do so at the cost of their own health and family time. For women, this role demands an even thicker skin – pushing through stigma while proving themselves as professionals worthy of trust and respect.
Conclusion
The life of a travelling employee may appear glamorous from a back-office desk, but beneath the surface lies exhaustion, untimely meals, loneliness, and sacrifice. These employees deserve not just admiration for their exposure but empathy for their endurance.
And for women who travel, the respect should be doubled – not questioned. They are not only representing their companies but also breaking barriers in societies still struggling with outdated perceptions.
The grass is never greener on the other side, it is only different. But when it comes to travelling employees, especially women, the grass is not green at all; it is often paved with sacrifice, resilience, and courage that deserves recognition.
(Bhetwaal is Senior Vice President of Jagdamba Motors Pvt Ltd. He holds over 30 years of experience in the corporate sector in Nepal. He has worked with some of the biggest companies and brands especially in the automobile domain.)
