Frequent traveler

Constant work-related trips provide challenges and opportunities for busy engineer

As a supplier quality engineer for Siemens Energy, Cassandra Brigitte Morris inspects the facilities of her company’s suppliers. Her travel schedule varies from week to week. “I like to tell people that when I started it (travel) was 30 percent, by the time I got hired it was 50 percent, and then I think it jumped up to about 80 percent.” Sometimes, she even whips out her passport for international travel to places like Germany (where Siemens is based) and Canada.

Morris has plenty of ways to make any business trip interesting – by trying new restaurants, observing how the locals live and checking out quirky attractions. Work becomes an opportunity to see and try something new. On her to-do list is the Ten Chimneys Museum in Wisconsin. 

“I did one trip where I went to Pennsylvania for a day, went over to Wisconsin for a day, then back to Pennsylvania.” A constant traveler, she knows a thing or two about moving around in comfort. Asked for tips about the most-functional attire, she points to her Crocs and says, “Best travel shoes ever,” due to the comfort and the ease of putting them on and taking them off. She packs snacks, an inflatable pillow, toiletries and earphones to make travel more bearable if flights are delayed or canceled. Morris gives three cheers for luggage with wheels that provide 360-degree rolling that reduces soreness and injuries from regularly carrying luggage through the airport.

As a frequent flier, Morris shares the frustrations of travelers everywhere, including the detailed security process, a lack of moving sidewalks in many airports and trying to transfer between gates often located at the opposite end of airports. Along the way, she’s learned a few things to make traveling a little easier. When going through security, keep your liquids and electronics in places where you can easily get your hands on them. “By the time I get inside, I’ve already put my coat in my suitcase,” she adds. She also advises to keep jewelry to a minimum, and when wearing flip-flops or sandals, bring socks so you don’t have to walk through security checkpoints in bare feet.

“Sometimes, my biggest challenge is remembering where I’m going,” Morris admits. She describes futilely searching for a reservation at an airline kiosk only to realize she’s not booked with that airline until three trips later.

One of Morris’ biggest challenges is managing her household while away. Simple tasks, such as getting the mail or paying bills, require additional preparation when you travel constantly. She’s downloaded the United States Postal Service’s phone app in case she has to mail a birthday card while out of town. She also admits that, with effort, she maintains her community involvement and personal commitments along with her travel schedule.

With all of that travel, you’d think she’d want to chill out in her downtime. Not hardly. By March of this year, she had already been to Paris, along with a few domestic locations. The self-proclaimed “beach girl” visited Trinidad, Brazil and Argentina last year, and has plans for Aruba and Hawaii this year. She is on a mission to hit all 50 states and take a cross-country road trip along Interstate 40. “My motto,” says Morris, “is, ‘Have passport, will travel.’”