I like to think that I can live a pretty simple existance (for a geek) - give me a laptop, an Internet connection and the occasional bit of food and drink and I'm happy to go on for as long as I need to.

I've been down in Swansea in South Wales for the past week - it's not often that work send me away for stuff. Perhaps the last time was when I was at the Eisteddfod, strangely enough in Swansea, this time last year. That was only for a couple of days, so the effects weren't quite as pronounced as they are now, and things were slightly different then anyway.

When you're away with work - whatever the reason, if it's being away on training courses, or conferences, or just working away - that's why you're there. To work. That's true to a point, the point being that I'm only paid to work for a set amount of time each day. If they want to buy more time off me - fine, go for it. As it stands, I feel slightly taken advantage of. The rest of my day isn't even my own when I'm away, because I'm in an area I don't know, with nobody around me that I know, fitting in to someone elses version of the world. It's just gone 2300, and I'm bloody starving. I phone for room service, because I fancy an ice cream. Can't be done - last food is served at 2200, it's a choice of sandwiches or wraps (isn't that essentially the same thing?). Apparently people don't want food after 2200. But wait, isn't this just an all expenses paid holiday in a fancy posh hotel? On the one hand, you're having your food and drink paid for, but on the other, you've got nobody to enjoy the going out bit with. Sitting alone in restaurants, eating alone. Going to the pub in the hotel with nobody else to enjoy it with. All of the empty business suits are sat there doing the same thing - apparently relaxing after a hard day doing pointless but oh-so-important business deals that'll change the world. Does the sneer give away that I'm totally fed up?

I think this reinforces the point that every single person is unique, and taking the person out of their own environment and putting them into the one-size-fits-all world of being on the road doesn't work for me. I've got an Internet connection that feels like wading through treacle, a telly that shows Sky News (no BBC News 24), the single music channel available is TMF (how many times can they rebroadcast the same show in 24 hours?) and the only kids channel is CBBC, which finishes broadcasting at 1900 each day. Great. The menu in the hotel bar hasn't changed once, and eating out in town ensures you end up feeling like a social lepper because you're eating alone. One of my friends suggested I take something to read (note: Make sure you get the free newspaper from the hotel each morning) just so that you don't end up studying the wallpaper in the restaurant too heavily.

There's only so many things you can do before you just end up being bored with trying to stop yourself from being bored. Last night I found myself organising the Documents folder and doing the things I'd been procrastinating over for far too long. Things that had long ago been put in the "far too pointless to even consider doing" pile are now finding the light of day.

To the people that like being on the road - good luck to you, and long may you enjoy it. It's not for me though, and I'm going to pay far more consideration to the length of the stay whenever something like this comes up again. There's far more to working away than first meets the eye.