I headed for Wellington on Thursday morning, for 2 days of client work. After a breakfast catchup with my colleague Peter Crow, I was onsite just before 9am. I was there for 30 minutes, and then headed for the restroom. To dry my hands I used the paper towels, and given that a couple of sheets fell on the ground, I bent over to pick them up – you know, to do the right thing and remove health and safety risks!

The ripping sound of my trousers as I bent over was loud enough to signal I had a major problem to deal with.

Thankfully, as I was staying over on Thursday night, I had jeans and a shirt in my bag, so I walked back to my desk, got my overnight bag, and headed back to the restroom to get changed.
Try explaining that to a client, especially when you get to meet the new CEO for the first time!

The above experience made my realise the folly of my international packing checklist. In none of my recent overseas trips have I had a backup pair of suit trousers. I’ve always travelled with a single pair. Lesson learned – it’s risky! Impact on future practice – checklist updated with backup requirements!

For the record, the client was fine with it – they were very gracious. And at lunch time, I went shopping for new trousers!