"How do you possibly do Europe in a weekend? The jet lag would kill me."
I was chatting with a coworker. Actually, I was trying to end a conversation with a coworker, but that wasn't going well.
The discussion: The value of a weekend away.
The challenge: Jet lag.
Apparently even a two hour change in time zone is difficult. Beyond that, a one hour flight is tiring.
"It's not just about the flight time, it's getting to the airport, going through security and customs, then being trapped in a plane for hours on end."
"One hour," I corrected.
"The time doesn't matter. It's tiring jumping through all the hoops it takes to travel. Add jet lag to that, and I can't understand why you would bother for just a weekend."
I considered. I had dozens of answers, but I didn't really think they cared what my opinion was. Some people just like to hear themselves talk.
I considered a bit longer.
"Jet lag, eh?" I finally said.
"It's the straw that breaks the camel's back. You dream about going somewhere for years, finally get there, and are laid out for two days by the time difference. What can you do when you're up at 2a.m. in a foreign city?"
"Party?" I suggested. I got a blank look. "I understand where you're coming from," I continued, nodding sagely. "Jet lag can be a real challenge."
"You have no idea. This one time when I flew to..."
I cued out at that point. I'd heard the same story from the same person a few weeks earlier. It always amazed me that people didn't realize how repetitive they were. I beg of you, my readers, travel more, see the world, bring back stories, and avoid repetition! Originality is a blessing to your listeners!
I thought about trying not to yawn, hid my boredom by taking a sip of my lukewarm coffee, thought about the new eye shadow I bought over the weekend, then reoriented on the discussions.
A suitable amount of time had passed and the repetitive bit had passed. Now they were just whining about jet lag. Again I looked for an exit that wasn't socially awkward.
Then I wished I didn't care about social graces.
Then I wished there was a drug that counteracted jet lag. There was a drug for everything these days. Lots of innovation in the pharmaceutical industry, and surely someone was looking out for the travel-worn road warrior. Really, all those brains had to see the opportunity for a significant ROI with bringing an end to jet lag (and this discussion!).
As it turns out, I'm not the only one wishing on a star here. Scientists at Oxford's Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences are also looking for a solution. The testing is in mice right now, but there is hope that eventually we will be able to pop a pill that allows our body to reset much more easily to changes in time zones.
"Wouldn't it be great if there was a drug for jet lag?" I interjected into the conversation.
"It's been promised before," my coworker replied. "They don't work. Pipe dreams."
"Yeah, well I guess time will tell," I replied. In fact, I think it will but I had no intention of getting into that discussion. Cue exit. "Speaking of time, I have to dash to a meeting..."
I dumped my half finished coffee in the garbage as I exited stage left, thinking it would be nice if the pharmaceutical industry also came up with a drug that treated the side effects of boring conversations. That I would pay big bucks for!
I was chatting with a coworker. Actually, I was trying to end a conversation with a coworker, but that wasn't going well.
The discussion: The value of a weekend away.
The challenge: Jet lag.
Apparently even a two hour change in time zone is difficult. Beyond that, a one hour flight is tiring.
"It's not just about the flight time, it's getting to the airport, going through security and customs, then being trapped in a plane for hours on end."
"One hour," I corrected.
"The time doesn't matter. It's tiring jumping through all the hoops it takes to travel. Add jet lag to that, and I can't understand why you would bother for just a weekend."
I considered. I had dozens of answers, but I didn't really think they cared what my opinion was. Some people just like to hear themselves talk.
I considered a bit longer.
"Jet lag, eh?" I finally said.
"It's the straw that breaks the camel's back. You dream about going somewhere for years, finally get there, and are laid out for two days by the time difference. What can you do when you're up at 2a.m. in a foreign city?"
"Party?" I suggested. I got a blank look. "I understand where you're coming from," I continued, nodding sagely. "Jet lag can be a real challenge."
"You have no idea. This one time when I flew to..."
I cued out at that point. I'd heard the same story from the same person a few weeks earlier. It always amazed me that people didn't realize how repetitive they were. I beg of you, my readers, travel more, see the world, bring back stories, and avoid repetition! Originality is a blessing to your listeners!
I thought about trying not to yawn, hid my boredom by taking a sip of my lukewarm coffee, thought about the new eye shadow I bought over the weekend, then reoriented on the discussions.
A suitable amount of time had passed and the repetitive bit had passed. Now they were just whining about jet lag. Again I looked for an exit that wasn't socially awkward.
Then I wished I didn't care about social graces.
Then I wished there was a drug that counteracted jet lag. There was a drug for everything these days. Lots of innovation in the pharmaceutical industry, and surely someone was looking out for the travel-worn road warrior. Really, all those brains had to see the opportunity for a significant ROI with bringing an end to jet lag (and this discussion!).
As it turns out, I'm not the only one wishing on a star here. Scientists at Oxford's Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences are also looking for a solution. The testing is in mice right now, but there is hope that eventually we will be able to pop a pill that allows our body to reset much more easily to changes in time zones.
"Wouldn't it be great if there was a drug for jet lag?" I interjected into the conversation.
"It's been promised before," my coworker replied. "They don't work. Pipe dreams."
"Yeah, well I guess time will tell," I replied. In fact, I think it will but I had no intention of getting into that discussion. Cue exit. "Speaking of time, I have to dash to a meeting..."
I dumped my half finished coffee in the garbage as I exited stage left, thinking it would be nice if the pharmaceutical industry also came up with a drug that treated the side effects of boring conversations. That I would pay big bucks for!
There is a cure already. It is a combination drug. Unisom at night and coffein during the day ;)
ReplyDeleteIf a pharmaceutical company isn't making millions off it per year, I think there might still be an opportunity there. Just saying...
ReplyDelete