Hi all,

I've just been approached about working on-site for one of my clients from October-February ... in Wisconsin! It would be a good opportunity and all that, but would basically mean that I would be living out of a hotel every other week for quite some time.

So I'm wondering for those of you who live/have lived around there ...

• How bad are the winters in Wisconsin? I know they are cold, but I hope they can at least clear the roads well. Don't relish the thought of getting stuck when I want to get home ...
• Has anyone else done this sort of assignment? Did you lose your mind of boredom during the week or ??

Thanks!

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...48#post6624548

some talk of the place in my thread there...seems they're on top of things, and there's a wee bit of snow

Flying into/out of might not be much fun though.

Thanks for the link Bob. My hope is that I could always fly direct ... so I'd be stuck in WI or in OH but not at O'Hare or Detroit.

I've lived out of hotels for weeks on end on numerous occasions. It can get pretty old pretty quickly, especially when you long for the familiar feeling of your own bed / sheets / towels, etc. (and fwiw, I was being housed in some really nice 5 star places and it still sucked). The lack of familiarity gets old. There are times when you just want a peanut butter sandwich and want to veg to a favorite DVD or something, and in a hotel you're kind of SOL.

* Make sure all your expenses are covered. Not just hotel and meals and car, but Internet access, phone calls, taxis, etc.

* Demand the best hotel you can get.

* You said you were flying direct so I'm kind of assuming Madison. One thing I would note is well, um...let's put it this way--the last thing I ever want to do (again) is fly in a little 'puddle jumper' plane in the middle of a snowstorm. I've done it more than a few times, but I've also been on final approach only to have the plane turn around and go to a secondary airport. "Sorry folks, but we can't see squat up here so we're rerouting over there". Suck. More and more of these are becoming regional jets which is a bit better than props, but still it can be a bit spooky.

I wish it was Madison - closer to Green Bay - so we're definitely talking puddle jumpers unfortunately.

I think staying in some kind of extended stay might be best - then I could at least keep things in the fridge, cook a little, etc. But you're right - I am a bit worried that I'll be bored out of my skull - especially if the weather is crap outside.

If you have any other tips on what I should be thinking about - I'm all ears. I was approached at 5pm today and am supposed to talk to them about it tomorrow. Like I said, from an experience standpoint it's a great opportunity ... but I definitely think there will be some negatives involved.

Where will you be? It's cold. very, very, very cold. Colder than you can probably imagine. My gf is from there so I've been out there quite a lot during the winter and I can honestly say I have never experienced anything like it. It's a nice place though. PEople mock it, but its cheap, friendly, and they like beer!

That's pretty far north. I spent some time doing just the kind of thing you describe in Saginaw MI. It gets old very quickly.

Cold isn't really the biggest deal - motels have heat. Work has heat. Cars have heat. Etc.

But linving in a motel is BORING. And if there isn't a town with much to do... and you don't know anyone... BORING.

Not sure I would do it again myself.

for that length of time, couldn't they stump for a furbished corporate apartment instead of a hotel? then you can stock up on stuff, make it a bit more homely?

Not sure to be honest. I think I'll either be there Tuesday - Thursday every week, or Monday-Friday every other week. The second of the two sounds better.

It's going to cost them a fortune to keep flying me back and forth - I wonder if a corporate apartment wouldn't make more sense from a cost perspective. Maybe I'll google to see if there is anything.

Yeah - it won't be super exciting. Maybe I'll be inspired to use the gym a lot ... hmmm ...

I do know a couple of people there, again from work, but one's husband is getting ready to student teach in Alaska for 6 months and she'll be on her own. With a little luck maybe she'll be up for doing something occasionally.

There is a town, it's not huge, but big enough for a shopping mall, theaters, and a few other things I'm sure. On weeknights it's not like I can drive 1.5 hours to Madison or another interesting town though ... particularly in the winter.

Well that's cool, if it's worth it to you. Driving... Wisconsin winters...hmm... I'd check the weather first myself.

It's hard to explain, but I think it would be a bad move career-wise if I were to turn it down. It would be great on the resume, and I know I'd find the work interesting. The only downside is having to go/live there every other week for a few months.

Hee hee - are their winters really worse than yours? I would have thought Chicago would rank up there for brisk weather.

Like I said - if it's worth it, then by all means go for it.

I would think Green Bay area would have worse winter than I do. LOTS further north - I know the UP of Michigan (not too far from there) gets tons of snow.

Dunno how much colder, but perhaps more snow. I'm too far in to get the lake effect snow generally.

I'd personally be more bummed by living in a motel than by the weather.

Yeah - actually I think Bob's suggestion is a good one. I wonder how a furnished corporate apartment compares to the cost of a hotel in this scenario. They might be close or the apartment might even be a little cheaper ... in which case that might seem better.

Depending on where you are going, you may wish to look into the likes of extended stay hotels like Candlewood Suites, MainStay Suites, where you can do some of your own cooking and have some room to move about in.

Northern Wisconsin can attract a lot of snowmobilers who can bug the hell out of you, when they come into the parking lots revving their engines. I think Green Bay is served by Regional Jet, from O'Hare.....so you shouldn't be on a turbo-prop.

You'll do just fine......this is what happened to me when I stayed in Hurley, WI, during the winter, for a few nights sometime ago.

It took a day and a half to get out of the hotel.

Jim.