juggling surprise work trips between arizona and virginia

Ever since I found out I’d be moving from sunny Arizona to Virginia, I thought my days of cross-country work trips were over. Turns out, my job had other plans! Now I’m the compliance head for a non-profit, working mostly from home, but still flying back to Arizona every few months—and sometimes on just a week’s notice. Here’s the thing: the organization covers my travel, but I’m still trying to keep costs down and not be a burden. The flights are one thing, but the real headache is figuring out where to stay each time. Hotels in Phoenix can be all over the place—sometimes I get a decent deal, other times it feels like I’m paying resort prices just for a basic room. I even tried booking an Airbnb once, but the cleaning fees and weird check-in times made it more trouble than it was worth. And don’t get me started on the last-minute trips. One time, I had to fly out with barely any notice, and the only hotel left was right next to the airport—so noisy I barely slept! I keep wondering if there’s a better way to handle this. Should I be looking for long-term stay deals, or maybe a hotel loyalty program? Or is there some secret trick to making these unpredictable trips less stressful? It’s funny—when I was younger, I used to love the idea of travel for work. Now, I just want a quiet room, a good bed, and maybe a coffee shop nearby that doesn’t close at 2pm. Anyone else dealing with this kind of back-and-forth? I feel like there’s got to be a smarter way to do it, but every time I think I’ve got a system, something throws it off. And honestly, I’m tired of living out of a suitcase half the year! #worktravel #midlifeadventures #travelwoes #Travel