Travel for work

[shawna0289]

Next week I am traveling to Michigan for work with about 12 other people, we all have our own rooms. I am going to bring various femme items with me to occupy the evenings in the hotel room. This is the first time I will be doing anything like it, I am nervous that somehow someone will find out. Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated

[Julie Denier]

I bring my femme gear on work trips regularly. As long as you don't have a roommate, you should be safe if you stay hunkered down while dolled up ;)

[JocelynRenee]

If you venture outside your room en femme make sure you have your rom key!

[bridget thronton]

I agree - be cautious, but there is no reason not to bring your fem stuff.

[shawna0289]

thank you ladies I am def bringing some stuff along with me ;)

[Marcelle]

Hi Shawna,

I don't think you will have an issue taking your stuff and as Julie pointed out so long as you don't have a room mate, you'll be fine. If you are worried about hotel staff discovering femme items, make sure to lock Shawna away in your suitcase before going out "en boy" and don't forget to do a sweep of the bathroom for femme items. If you are going to dress in your room and you have other people on the trip with you, make sure they have gone out for the evening before getting dressed up just in case they decide to pop by your room and see if you want to go out.

Most of all . . . have fun being Shawna.

Hugs

Isha

[CynthiaD]

I travel a lot for work, and when I go someplace interesting I try to schedule a extra day or two for sight seeing and other stuff. My employers are OK with this, but if they weren't I'd just not claim the extra days on my expense report. The extra days are usually over a weekend, so extra time off is not an issue, and sometimes it results in a reduction in the air fare. You might want to check into this and see if it's OK with your boss.

[Deedee Skyblue]

just in case they decide to pop by your room and see if you want to go out.

This is what I would worry about. If I was going somewhere with 12 other people from work, and I spent a lot of evenings by myself, I would worry about how I was perceived by my fellow employees. Stuck up or antisocial - and my worry would be that that perception would follow me back to the office.

Deedee

[flatlander_48]

From my experience, there is an ebb and flow to this. If it is large group, hopefully folks will realize that it is tough to go out en masse. If you show up at a lot of places with 12 people, there might be a considerable wait. Plus, tastes are different: some will want vegetarian, some will want a steak place, etc. and it may take a long time for a large group to decide where to go. So, often the group will naturally split up. Personally, I like going out to eat with 4 or 5 people. Any more than that is difficult to manage physically. People get too far away to talk to comfortably.

However, it is not unusual for me to tell folks they are taking to long to decide and I need to eat soon. I'm also fine with eating by myself. Anyway, if you do this, you're in control of your own destiny. It makes it easier to eat, get back to the hotel and change!

[Rachel M]

Be the last one in your group to check in the hotel. This way, you can ask for a room on a different floor and or wing than the others. This helps if you intend to go out under the radar. Coworkers next door or across the hall could be looky Lou's .good luck and have fun!

[RenneB]

When I travel, Renne's suitcase is huge, whereas the drab case is more like a carry on. So for a weekend, I have about two cases, the makeup tackle box and another bag for stuff that didn't fit.

If you leave your room, take both key cards with you. That way, if you loose one, you'll have a backup.....

Have fun and take a bunch of pictures......

Renne......

[Emily CD]

I normally travel with 1 maybe 2 other people on business trips if I am not going alone. 12 people would be quite challenging to manage when you ultimately want to have your feminine alone time. All of the responses are spot on the money. If I could add 1 more thing, and again this is just about impossible to do with that many co-workers travelling, I always try to make sure I am not on the same floor as my co-workers "if possible". My last trip was for 2 weeks to the Montreal area. The co-worker got there a day ahead of time, which was nice because I prefer to travel (air & car) alone. However, this gave me a chance to find out what room he was in so I made sure I was not even on the same floor. This is purely in the event that I happen to be Emily in the hallway late at night and he, for some reason, is out as well. Perhaps he made an ice bucket run or something. I am a bit paranoid about this sort of thing because I feel that if I was "caught" by a co-worker, it could ruin me and my career. Yes, there is that chance that they may see me in a positive way but I don't want to run the risk.

All of this is interesting information but at the end of the day, I often find that I pretty much reserve my time to go outside my room (and the hotel) as Emily long after most people are in bed. In a way it is quite frustrating because I would much prefer to be Emily at any time of day; not when everyone is sleeping. I am probably not repeating thoughts that most of us don't already have.

Anyway, thanks for everyone's time. This is a really good thread. Furthermore, this is the best site I have ever found to express my feelings and read the thoughts and experiences of all of us. I used to think I was alone. Far from it!

- Emily

[Sometimes Steffi]

If you venture outside your room en femme make sure you have your rom key!




When I travel, Renne's suitcase is huge, whereas the drab case is more like a carry on. So for a weekend, I have about two cases, the makeup tackle box and another bag for stuff that didn't fit.

If you leave your room, take both key cards with you. That way, if you loose one, you'll have a backup.....

Have fun and take a bunch of pictures......

Renne......

Definitely always take both room keys. I can't count how many times one has died. It's no problem to go to the front desk to get a new one, unless you get locked out of your room dressed in a miniskirt while getting a bucket of ice.

[sherri]

Dressing is a high priority for me when I travel, but I'm thinking that with 12 coworkers along the potential for the unexpected would be pretty high. Just sayin.

[shawna0289]

I am in the hotel right now alone and dressed and it feels amazing. I have pictures but I forgot my cord to hook my camera up to my laptop, I will post when I get home.

[Laura28]

I travel three out of weeks a month so I am lucky I get to dress fully. I usally am alone on travels but do meet up with others at times. I don't tell others my room number. I also don't go out of my room I want but just haven't had the courage to do so. Just enjoy your time in the room have fun.

[StephanieCLT]

I agree. Travelling for work presents opportunities for those of us still in the crossdressing closet. One thing I've found, is in the event that you're in the business of repeating visits to the same location for multiple weeks at a time (for example, if you're on a project), then hotels will often let you store a bag at the hotel. Then, you can leave your femme things behind, which has all kinds of benefits.

[mariehart]

It's been a long time since I went away with a group of co workers. Actually we were all sent to Burlington,Vermont from Ireland for six weeks. I'll let you work out who my former employer was.:straightface:

We all stayed in a Residence Inn. A room each complete with kitchenette. Luckily mine was away from the others, not that they were inclined to drop in and visit me. So I took full advantage and immediately hit Walmart and several clothes shops in the downtown mall with my expense account. Soon I had a nice little collection and used to sit in and watch TV at night fully dressed and sleep in my nightie. Heaven!

I wasn't to worried about being caught, even then most of my colleagues suspected I was gay or something and they were of the generation that really didn't carry too much prejudice about things like that. Also it would never affect my career because A: I had none and B: Big blue has a very proactive LGBT policy. Come to think of it I should have just outed myself at the time. We'd have had some hilarious nights downtown in Ri Ra's Irish pub with me in my party dress.

Missed opportunity that.

[julie w]

I travel a lot for work I am usually alone and take some femme clothes for the evening ,but don't go out , if I am with someone I don't take any femme stuff , I don't think its a good idea to get found out at work
Now when I travel to visit family I nearly always spend a day out and a bout as Julie and usually travel home femme

[MarcyRex]

If you are flying in, Janets Closet (retail store aimed at us) isn't too far to drive to plus a couple of hopping bars in Inkster where you'd be welcomed. Might be worth the rental car if you want "out" time.

[Tinasworld2]

The one tip I would give is good makeup remover if you are doing all femme.

[Leslie Langford]

Having spent far more years in the Corporate world than I care to remember, I was never a huge fan of all that "team-building", "cross-functional task force" and assorted other bonding/networking/@ss-kissing initiatives mindset so prevalent there, not to mention the various group-based activities which that typically fosters and which has become so ingrained in larger organizations in this day and age.

So, I say to you, shawna, given all that, and the fact that you are traveling with 12 other business associates, the odds of you having any semblance of "alone" time to engage in your crossdressing passion after your off-site working day is over range anywhere from "0" to nil.

There will likely be a boozy group dinner or some other similar activity planned every night - not only to placate all the extroverts in your group who cannot fathom the idea of suffering through some quiet time in a hotel room all by themselves - but also to keep on driving that relentless Corporate "team-building" agenda even during the off-hours that should really qualify as some personal time off to unwind and recharge.

Of course, you can always try to beg off, but that will only label you as standoff-ish, a loner, and not a team player. By default, that will then exclude you from the "inner circle" and considerably limit your eventual chances for advancement...

[JennyT3]

I manage a very nice hotel... We dont care what you look like as long as the CC authorizes!

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Shawna, Don't forges to hang the (( DO NOT DISTURBE )) sing on the door.

[beckymarie]

I travel frequently and agree with most all of the advice posted. One note regarding leaving a bag at the hotel for multiple consecutive week visits, I have often done that. Be sure, however, to put a lock on your bag. My father worked part-time at a hotel after he retired and he told multiple stories about the hotel staff looking in those left-behind bags and finding crossdresser's treasures (he went on-and-on about the wigs and high heeled shoes!)

Have fun!

[Rachel2000]

I've done this so many times I've lost count so here is a bit of fair warning. If you are the least bit popular and the group you are traveling with likes to be social, your evenings will not be yours to spend alone. As a rule when traveling with a group, the tendency is to party a bit and explore the town in the evenings and you will be generally expected to be a part of it. You might be able to take one night off claiming to be too tired or some other plausible excuse - just don't figure on being Shawna every evening because people do talk and someone is sure to make it their mission to find out what it is you are really up to. I pretty much reserve taking Rachel along for those business trips that are pretty much solo as I've found group trips just aren't worth the effort. Having said that, there is certainly nothing wrong with bringing some lingerie and nighties to sleep in.

[Rachel2000]

Having spent far more years in the Corporate world than I care to remember, I was never a huge fan of all that "team-building", "cross-functional task force" and assorted other bonding/networking/@ss-kissing initiatives mindset so prevalent there, not to mention the various group-based activities which that typically fosters and which has become so ingrained in larger organizations in this day and age.

So, I say to you, shawna, given all that, and the fact that you are traveling with 12 other business associates, the odds of you having any semblance of "alone" time to engage in your crossdressing passion after your off-site working day is over range anywhere from "0" to nil.

There will likely be a boozy group dinner or some other similar activity planned every night - not only to placate all the extroverts in your group who cannot fathom the idea of suffering through some quiet time in a hotel room all by themselves - but also to keep on driving that relentless Corporate "team-building" agenda even during the off-hours that should really qualify as some personal time off to unwind and recharge.

Of course, you can always try to beg off, but that will only label you as standoff-ish, a loner, and not a team player. By default, that will then exclude you from the "inner circle" and considerably limit your eventual chances for advancement...

I concur 100% as I've had a much similar experience in the corporate world.

[shawna0289]

It was kind of hard to find alone time but I did manage to get some because I normally work third shift and I had to go switch to a first shift sleep schedule so after having a couple of drinks I went to my room and locked all the locks and also put the do not disturb sign up to make it look like I wanted peace to be able to get some sleep. I have some picture in the picture and video section of the form.

[Beverley Sims]

Jocelyn has it right....
Otherwise it can be sooo embarrassing.

[Kris Avery]

I travel several times a year for business and vacation.

ALL the business trips I make sure I have 2-3 sets of my 'girl' clothes and on vacation - even more so.

My vacations are almost always to tropical destinations as I have a 'main vice' - diving and underwater photos and video.

Thinking about 'baggage allowance issues' trying to get your diving stuff, camera stuff, girl stuff, and a few boy things on a trip is a nightmare.

How did we go from 2 70 pound bags to 1 50 pound bag (if you are lucky) in less than a decade? I know -greed.