When people find out what I do for a living - shoot pictures at big events (pro sports), do photography for some reality TV (Contender, Apprentice, Rock Star), travel the country teaching photography seminars and lead photo trips to cool places (I've got trips to the southwest, Maui, Tucson and Peru in the next few months), they say, "Wow, what a great life!" It is, but it involves a lot of travel, which often is anything but fun.

Take today, for instance. I'm on the last leg of a two-week trip teaching digital workflow classes for Associated Press photographers. I've been to Miami, Dallas, St. Louis and now Manchester, N.H. for the last one. I’ve enjoyed doing them, and met a lot of great photographers. However, all I've seen of the cities has been the airport, hotel, and if I'm lucky, a restaurant or two. And then there's the travel.

Today I started in St. Louis, MO, on the first of two flights to get to Manchester. Check out of the hotel, wait for the shuttle to the airport. Get to the airport, wait in line to check luggage. Get the boarding pass and head to security, where, surprise! I get to stand in line again. Only this one was a long one. Then to the gate to wander around looking for a power outlet so I could work on the laptop and save the battery for the flights. The bonus? The small commuter plane to Chicago wasn't full, and I had two seats to myself. That should have been my first warning. Something good happens, you're going to pay for it later.

In Chicago I grabbed a sandwich and soda on the way to the connecting flight. I always ask for a window seat, as I might as well enjoy the view. It also comes in handy if you have to hug the window. And this time I'd be hugging that window. I honestly feel sorry for obese people. It can't be an easy life. It's also hard on fellow passengers, and that's what I was on this flight. Two hours of a near-intimate relationship with the guy next to me. I may have paid for the seat, but I only got two-thirds of it. That was just the beginning, though.

Arriving in Manchester, we all head down to baggage claim and wait. And wait. And wait. It took over thirty minutes before bags started appearing, and then they dribbled out one by one. Twenty-five minutes later bags stopped coming out, but there were still about fifteen people waiting. Surprisingly (not!), the baggage claim office was closed, with a note saying to go to the ticket counter, where we got to join everyone waiting in line to check in for their flights. Two hours after arriving at the airport, I was finally at the curb outside, waiting for the hotel shuttle. With a little luck, my bag would be on the next flight, later that evening. And the fun wasn't over yet!

Checking in at the hotel, I asked for the two packages that should have been waiting for me. Nope, just one here, I'm told. The other, containing a digital projector for the program, shipped Priority delivery the day before and is nowhere to be found. A quick call to the shipper and I'm told that there were "mechanical" problems, and the package should be delivered mid-morning tomorrow. Lucky I paid for "Priority" delivery! Problem is, at 9am in the morning, I'll have twenty people who've flown in from around the country for this program, and I'll have no projector. Calling the shipper, I'm told, "No problem, it should be there by 10am." No, that is a problem. The whole reason for using "Priority" shipping was to have it in Manchester on Wednesday, not mid-morning Thursday. I guess it would have been too much trouble to call and let me know the shipment was delayed. Asking for a supervisor, I explain the situation and ask that it be delivered by 8:30am. Well, I'm told, that might be possible, but I'll need to keep checking their website to see when the package shows up in the system, and then call again to make that request. I guess I should have used a major shipping company that could take care of that themselves. I'm not going to name who the shipper is, but their initials are UPS...

So, with a little luck, my clothes will arrive tonight, I'll keep checking UPS's website so I can let them know their system says my package is in, and by 9am tomorrow morning I'll be in clean clothes and have a working projector to teach the program. Travel - yeah, it's a LOT of fun. Can't wait to get home.