I've done those work trips. They suck. Who cares if you're eating at Per Se when you're stuck with other people vying for your job or trying to push their agen

I've done those work trips. They suck. Who cares if you're eating at Per Se when you're stuck with other people vying for your job or trying to push their agenda. You have almost no time for personal enjoyment, and you're almost entirely stuck with coworkers so you can't let loose. C-Suite and C-Suite adjacent end up working 60-80 hour weeks, and you have to be always on because that is what the role entails > I'm sure can arrange to go to Europe "for work" CEOs report to boards, and we ask their C-Suite peers about each other and any issues. And even before it could reach that level, the CFO would absolutely push back on a frivolous expense like that. ----------- Best bang for your buck between luxury and free time is Staff/Principal Engineer - you earn enough that you can afford to take fancy vacations, but you are still an experienced IC so you can shop around for jobs if god forbid you lose yours, and you aren't expected to work most weekends