On the road. It's sounds so romantic. Doesn't it?
Seeing far away places, interesting faces, and spending evenings having dinner in some lovely little bistro on a hill that overlooks the lights in the valley below.
Well, I hate to burst your bubble. But, unless you're on a leisurely vacation with time and money to burn, what you're really facing is 11-12 hours behind the wheel dealing with the monotonous white lines on a seemingly endless ribbon of asphalt that's occasionally interrupted by some moron who's all over the road because he or she is trying to text and drive at the same time.
Then, when you get to the point of exhaustion you get off "the road" and try to find a decent motel where there's more food selection than those terrible truck-stop hot dogs. And, finally, it's off to bed where you can hope to get a solid 8 hours, unless there's a party going on in the room across the hall.
Ah, yes. The reality of life on the road is anything but glamourous. But, as Hyman Roth explained to Michael Corleone in Godfather II, "This is the business we've chosen." And, business is why I've been on the road.
More...
As many of you know, I've had various experiences within the real estate industry. And, even though I now limit my activities to providing real estate training and advice, I've still got 1 or 2 "special" clients from my appraisal business who I enjoy working with.
So, at the request of one of these clients, I've been somewhere on the east coast undertaking the appraisal of an asphalt manufacturing company, along with its various component parts, which is basically the machinery & equipment, and the real estate.
But, aside from all the "on the road" stuff, one of the really great things about being in the real estate industry, at least for me, is that it takes me to places I probably would have never seen otherwise.
For example, teaching my seminars has taken me from Portland, Maine to Columbia, South Carolina, to Prescott, Arizona, and countless other places.
And, my appraisal career has extended from the streets of New York City, to Aveiro, Portugal, to the golf resorts of Palm Springs, California, to a luxury condo complex on the island of Roatan, Honduras, to the wilds of the tiny town of Skykomish, Washington, to the beautiful seaport of Halifax, Nova Scotia, among dozens of other places, some of which aren't even on a map.
But, best of all, is that I've met some really wonderful people from all walks of life. From the homeowners whose home was nearly destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, to people who escaped the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001, to the many builders, architects, engineers, lawyers, bankers, real estate agents and appraisers, miners, artists, all types of business owners, and so many more that I'd have to write a book to list them all.
So, while being on the road is sometimes pretty stressful and can make me a bit cranky at times, frankly, I don't think I'll ever get bored with it. And, deep down inside, I know I'll never stop "getting out there."
I look forward to seeing you somewhere out there on the road, soon.
I'd also love to hear from you about your "on the road" experiences. Please share your experiences with us.
