Work travel led to missed milestone

Mark it down as one milestone missed.

I don’t want there to be another.

In my new career in the marketing department of a commercial roofing manufacturer, part of my role is to coordinate trade shows. It’s a realm I never knew existed until I embarked on this new career.

Whether that’s sending display material to sales representatives in California, securing booth space and registering attendees for regional shows in Texas or handling everything from start to finish for our company’s biggest event, The International Roofing Expo, I can have a lot on my plate.

I often get asked “Will I see you at [insert show name here]?” or told “I look forward to seeing you at [show name]!”

Therein lies the problem. The answer to the question is most often “No,” or I reply to the latter statement with “Oh, I don’t actually attend the shows, I just coordinate them.”

But …

Something rare happened last year: my supervisor, who usually attends these shows to represent our marketing department, had something come up, and she wasn’t able to go. Because of this — and my desire to attend a trade show to get the experience — she offered to let me go in her place to our second-largest regional show, the Western Roofing Expo in Las Vegas.

I had never been to Vegas before, so I jumped at the opportunity.

This year, I was fortunate enough to attend again. It was almost necessary this time around because we had a more intricate booth, and I needed to facilitate it being assembled correctly.

I almost wish I didn’t go.

One upside to my new, non-journalism career (despite the fact I’ve had some really cool freelance opportunities here in Michigan recently) is a more standard schedule. I’ve got an 8-to-5 gig. I rarely, if ever, work weekends and I am hardly away from my family.

As a first-time dad, it’s monumental. I’m able to be home with my wife and daughter, ensuring we spend these formative days, months and years of Baby Schanz’s life together. It also guarantees I’m around as our little one grows up. I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but I don’t know how I could juggle being a husband and father with the amount of hours I was working while at The CR.

(I know things have changed since my departure, but it was a grind, for sure.)

My new job means I don’t have to — or shouldn’t — miss any of my daughter’s milestones.

I still missed one, anyway. And it bothers me.

I was gone in Vegas from Sept. 28 to Oct. 2. I knew it was going to be tough on my wife, having to be a single parent for five days. It was going to be tough on me too as it was going to be my first time away from them for more than a handful of hours.

The day after I left I got a text from my wife.

“[My day] has been good. [Baby Schanz] is a little fussy today with cutting a tooth. I can’t believe it.”

While our daughter is smack-dab in the middle of the 4-to-7-month range of cutting her first tooth, I was hoping it wouldn’t happen until I returned.

Instead, my wonderful wife had to handle the crying and fussiness without her partner there. Although my mother-in-law was in town to help in my absence, it just wasn’t the same.

It pained me to be three time zones away, helpless as Chrissy was left to her own devices.

I love traveling, especially for work purposes. I don’t do it often, either, as this was just the third time in two years getting to do so.

Next time I’m presented with the chance to travel for work, I may have to seriously consider the ramifications.

What milestone am I going to miss this time? Her first step? Her first report card? (God forbid) her first breakup?

I’ve already missed one. I’m not sure I could handle missing another.

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Chris Schanz is a former CR Sports Editor embarking on a new journey as a father. You can reach him at [email protected].