People tend to think my job is pretty glamorous. I’m a videographer/producer and do a lot with fashion, travel, and lifestyle, so I get to travel around and have access to some pretty fun things. Lots of models, lots of backstage catering, and there’s probably more gloss to my normal everyday than I realize.

That said, it’s still a job. The trade off for the perks is pretty hefty, and includes super long days — my usual fashion week schedule is 10 days of 18 hour days back to back. Super stressful, super crazy, and I basically vanish off the face of the earth when in production mode.

Last summer I was lucky enough to head to Paris on a business trip. Literally couldn’t have been more excited, or more nervous, to get there and get started on work. And as soon as production started everything that could go wrong went horribly wrong. Communications failed, talents missed appointments, I dropped my camera/rent check on the pavement in front of the Ritz, we had hailstorms and flash floods on our outdoor production times, and deadlines were drawing up close.

I could have been a stressed mess when it came to my job in Paris. I was alone, I had to juggle clients in Paris with clients in New York, literally everything from accommodation to transportation to how to frame the shot came down to me. That’s a lot resting on your shoulders. But I made the conscious choice to enjoy every single second of it. Because we all have those moments in our jobs that we like — it might be a joke with a coworker, or the feeling you get when you finally get to take a break — and those are the things that we should be focusing on.

So, whether you’re flying off to Paris for work, or just running to the supply closet, try not to savor a little something. Make the effort to venture out one night, grab a drink with someone, go for a walk — get out and see something new. First instincts might be to curl up and let the world roll on by, but sometimes venturing out will give you so much more energy. It’ll open your eyes to something new, help keep you grounded and energized, and besides, you can always sleep on the plane ride back.

This post originally appeared on www.highclassnocash.com
Photo by Justin Wu for High Class, No Cash