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Warrior Women
By Jennifer Robertson Norris

Carry-on packed. Destination set. Ready to rack up those frequent-flyer miles? These women charted their own historical journey and have attained the coveted honor of becoming two of the five 2009 American Way Road Warrior winners because of their effort. Forget George Clooney and Up in the Air, here’s a real life version of two women who logged many miles in the sky.

Name: Caryn L. Carson

Nickname: I really prefer for most people to call me “Caryn” but I have been known to answer to “CC” and “Scooter.”

Your definition of a Road Warrior: A Road Warrior is someone for whom there does not exist a separation between “home life” and “road life.” It’s all your life — wherever you go, there you are. On a less existential level, a Road Warrior is a patient, flexible, and optimistic person who sees a flight delay as an opportunity to catch up on email, a plastic cup of Amora Signature Snack Mix as a light meal, a missed connection as an opportunity to see an interesting city (or at least the part of the city right around the airport), and an airport security checkpoint as a stage for a choreographed exercise in precision and efficiency worthy of any drill team. And they must be able to live out of a carry-on for at least one workweek.

Describe your quintessential RW moment: When I travel for work, because I often roll right off the plane and head straight to a client meeting or mediation, I usually travel in business attire. As a lawyer, I have more than my fair share of navy blue pantsuits. Once after being one of the first to board an American Airlines flight, I was standing in front of my exit row aisle seat as other passengers made their way down the aisle. Most smiled and nodded at me. One lady asked me “How’s the weather in Philadelphia?” It seemed odd for a stranger to be asking me that, but I always try to be polite so I replied “Cold, but clear.” Then the next man asked me how long the flight was. Why was he asking me? He looked disappointed when I shrugged and said “Something like three hours?” Then it dawned on me that everyone thought I was a flight attendant as I stood there in my navy blue suit looking like it was just another day at the office. When you completely blend in on an airplane like you just belong there, that’s when you know you are a Road Warrior. Truth be told, I have been mistaken for a flight attendant on several occasions. I take it as a compliment.

Key difference between women and men travelers: Wow, this question could really get me in trouble. When I posed this question to both male and female friends, I got a lot of one-word answers like “luggage” (women have more), “luggage” (men have more), “patience” (women have more) and “underwear” (not sure about that one). While I think we have far more in common than not with our brother travelers, there is one thing that sticks out in my mind. Many male travelers have an enlarged sense of personal space in enclosed spaces like airplanes and trains. Maybe it comes from growing up with just one sister, but every car our family ever owned had an invisible line running down the center of the backseat to mark “her side” from “my side.” I find that many male travelers are not familiar with that line. Women tend to sit in airplane seats with their knees together and their elbows at their sides. Most men have a much bigger presence in their seats, and their knees are off at an angle and their elbows can often cross that invisible line into my space. And some men do not consistently exercise good armrest etiquette. Ok, I said it. Let the hate mail begin.

When you’re run down and the thought of traveling is wearing you out, what is the one thought that pulls it all together and gets you on that plane: I am lucky because this doesn’t happen very much. If I am on the road for work, I’m probably heading out to a Tenet hospital, and that’s the best part of my job. While traveling can be strenuous, it does not compare with the tremendous work that gets done and the miracles that get performed in health care every day. If I do get worn out, I try to keep my life and work in perspective and remember how lucky I am to practice law in a sector as inspiring and interesting as health care. When that doesn’t work, I reflect on the great truth from Thank You for Smoking: It’s all about the mortgage.

While you travel mostly for work, describe your dream vacation trip: I’ll assume you are looking for a dream vacation that I might actually have a chance of taking, so I won’t elaborate on a week in London with Daniel “James Bond” Craig. My realistic dream vacation would begin with me returning solo to Thailand, one of my favorite spiritual places on Earth. I’d take a week for myself in Phuket and occasionally leave my hammock full of books for snorkeling and swimming. I’d immerse myself in a Thai cooking school and have at least one spa treatment every day. Just as I would be getting lonely inside my own head, it would be time to meet up with Brian and explore somewhere new to both of us. I am thinking of 10 days split between Cambodia and Laos. I’m dying to get to Angkor Vat and do a little trekking (nothing too serious) in the national parks in Kampot province. We’d make our way north to Laos and try to get lost on mopeds in Luang Prabang and then float down the Mekang River past ancient villages and Buddhist temples. When it was time to return to the states, we’d be sure to fly through San Francisco and enjoy a stopover of a couple of days in the East Bay to catch up with my family and to see how much my niece and nephew have grown.

Must-have travel gadget: A mini ionic air purifier I wear around my neck on airplanes. It looks strange and I am not entirely certain it really works, but it’s my “must have” on longer flights.

Must-have travel companion (this can be human or an inanimate object): Digital camera. I take one with me on almost every trip. If I don’t want to lug my SLR with a few lenses, a small Canon PowerShot is a great little camera that can fit in a pocket or handbag.

RW tips on getting through security efficiently: It comes down to three key things. 1) Keep it simple. Wear shoes that you can slip out of quickly. Have your quart size bag of liquids ready to pull out from an outside pocket of your carry-on bag. Leave the bling at home. 2) Be prepared. It’s pretty much the same drill every time. My personal order on the X-ray belt is: shoes, then small carry-on, then plastic bin with jacket, laptop, and bag-o-liquids, then larger carry-on. 3) Have a decent attitude, especially with our TSA friends. Say hello. Nothing says “additional screening” like a pushy woman with a huffy attitude who is running late for a flight.

No. 1 travel tip for the aspiring RW: When you’re on the road for work, my No. 1 tip is to remember to take care of yourself! This may seem obvious, but don’t leave your good habits at home. Eat right. Get sleep. Drink enough water. Exercise every day. And, as I have learned the hard way, take care of your feet. You won’t be effective at whatever you do if you’re constantly eating out of a paper sack, grouchy from lack of sleep and exercise, and lamenting your sore feet. When you are traveling for pleasure, my No. 1 tip is don’t schedule your day like you are on a business trip. See the sights, but also wander neighborhoods, eat lunch on a park bench or sidewalk cafe, and if you find somewhere you really love, give yourself permission to stay a while rather than hurrying off to the next thing on the agenda.

What do you insist on when booking travel accommodations: 1) Cleanliness. A place to stay doesn’t have to be fancy, but it does have to be clean. 2) Reasonably safe neighborhood. If I can’t grab a bite of dinner by myself down the street, I’ll probably pass. 3) Convenience to wherever I am going. If I can walk there, all the better.

How do you unwind while you are traveling: That’s easy. I am a serious walker and a not-so-serious runner. To unwind, I put on the running shoes and go. I try to take advantage of wherever I am. If I am in Philadelphia, I’ll walk around Rittenhouse Square or run up the stairs of the art museum like Rocky. In California, nothing beats a walk down by the beach. If it’s summer in Chicago, I love Michigan Avenue in the early morning. In Paris, I join everyone else exercising in Jardin du Luxembourg. While I usually walk at home with an iPod, I don’t when traveling. I’d rather hear every sound around me.

Name: Amy Elizabeth Zimmer

Nickname: I’m “Zee” to some of my old college friends, but I don’t really have any nicknames now.

Your definition of a Road Warrior: Someone who’s just as comfortable up in the air as on the ground.

Describe your quintessential RW moment: Realizing that I can identify multiple countries by their aerial views, and that I base my seat selection on what I want to see when taking off or landing (left side is usually best for LGA city views, for example).

Key difference between women and men travelers: Men never seem to have baggies that are completely full of 3-oz. liquids.

When you’re run down and the thought of traveling is wearing you out, what is the one thought that pulls it all together and gets you on that plane: The thing that always gets me on the plane is the destination. That and the promise of a bulkhead seat so I can stretch out my legs.

While you travel mostly for work, describe your dream vacation trip: I actually travel more for fun than for work, so I’m really lucky. My dream trip would be a full year, round-the-world jaunt. There are loads of places on my to-see list, but topping it right now are India, Iceland, Mali, and Bhutan. If anyone wants to sponsor this trip, just let me know!

Must-have travel gadget: Bose noise-canceling headphones. They changed my life.

Must-have travel companion (this can be human or an inanimate object): I love traveling with my sister, because we’re almost always on the same wavelength about where we want to go and what we want to do. As for inanimate objects, I’d have to go with my passport, because I’m almost always leaving the country when I travel.

RW tips on getting through security efficiently: I laughed so hard at George Clooney’s assessment of who to follow in Up in the Air. If you’re behind anyone with elite status, you’re golden. Anyone who travels a lot has it down to a science. Also, wear easy shoes.

No. 1 travel tip for the aspiring RW: Be nice to your seatmates and flight crew. To this day, my favorite seatmate was the one who asked me, “Which half of the armrest would you like, the front or the back?” I let him have the whole thing.

What do you insist on when booking travel accommodations: I sometimes go crazy places, so I can’t always be choosy. I do love nice bed linens, though.

How do you unwind while you are traveling: An hour at the cafe, or, when I can splurge, some serious spa time!