Even though Up in the Air didn't score big in the Oscars, the road warriors mindset it portrays is one that pretty much every meeting manager can relate to. But when I read this editorial in yesterday's Boston Globe, I thought it might be going a bit too far to actually praise jet lag. But who could argue with this sentiment?
"My own theory is that jet lag begins not in midair but the moment one sets foot in the airport. Checking in, passing through security, drifting toward the departure gate - all stages in a glorious slippage of identity. As you hover along the concourse, eyes a-flicker, your tastes and habits fall away. You are between states, between countries: Unwonted pleasures recommend themselves. You buy an expensive magazine about cars, despite having no interest in cars. At 9:30 in the morning you find yourself eating a plate of General Gao’s chicken. Who are you?"
Been there, done that. I think author James Parker is right after all -- we should embrace it all as part of the human experience. Or something. Anyway, it's a great read.