Border Crossings

Time to break out the old passport and silently swear under my breath about the hassles of packing (no liquids!?!), airport parking, flight delays (come on Delta, try a little harder to get your people in on time) and border guards. While I mostly love my job, there are times when I am expected to travel for it. I have no problem with showing up at a customer site and working my magic and making the customers believe I'm completely brilliant and amazing. What I really hate is the grief I inevitably get while trying to cross the border. I understand the need to protect the country and those who are employed within it's borders (especially now in these times of economic uncertainty) but I don't understand why it's so hard to believe that I might be travelling south simply to do my job and then get the heck out again. Believe me when I say I have no inclination to stay south of the border once I'm there - I love my American friends and even the weather that some of the states enjoy - but I'm not interested in picking up my life and moving hundreds or thousands of miles away from my family, friends and everything else I love about this country. I like socialized medicine, multi-cultural harmony and multiple political groups vying for my vote.
If I'm really lucky this time, maybe I'll get a border guard who recognizes that I'm not a terrorist, nor someone who's looking to mooch off the system. Someone who recognizes that I'm just trying to do my job to the best of my ability and that sometimes that job involves visiting our American customers.
Of course, if my bosses could just get their ducks in a row and figure out a way to get me a visa or other work papers to help eliminate this frustration, that would be even better. 8 months later they're still "working on it" :)
Could be worse I suppose. I could be unemployed and bitching about how I have nowhere to go, instead of whining about how I have to travel. Need to remember to always look on the bright side, right?