Savour the Journey

James Taylor wrote "The secret to life is enjoying the passage of time".  Traveling is about experiencing something new - why not slow down and savour every delicious moment.  Take the time to let it sink in and penetrate your very soul. 

I used to do so much on my trips that I needed a vacation when I got home.   I wanted to see and do as many things as possible because I thought I might never go back and didn't want to miss anything.  What I did miss was the real essence of where I was.  It wasn't until I slowed down that I realized how my life was enriched by every new sight, sound and taste along my journey.   

The Upgrade Journey

I really enjoy getting upgrades while traveling, especially when I don't have to pay for them!  On a recent flight to Europe I purchased an economy roundtrip ticket and on the outbound flight I was very happy to have the entire row of seats to myself so I was able to sleep and had lots of room to spread out.  When I arrived at the hotel early the next morning they not only had my room ready but had upgraded me to a lovely deluxe room with executive lounge access.  What a great way to begin my trip.

The next day, I went to the train station to reserve my seat and the agent said it was too late to pay for an upgrade but that they would accept my ticket in First Class for any unreserved seat.  In my opinion, there isn't a more relaxing way to spend an afternoon than riding the train through the gorgeous countryside while you are served tea, sandwiches and cake.

Everywhere I went I received unexpected but very welcome surprises. During my trip, I caught a bit of a cold and decided I would go home a few days early.  When I called the airline to change my return flight I was informed that there was only 1 seat left on the flight and it was a middle seat, in coach, at the very back of the plane.  I thought about how wonderful all the other aspects of the trip had been and gratefully accepted the seat.

When I went on-line to check in and print my boarding pass I noticed that my seat assignment had changed and I hoped it would at least be an aisle seat.   Much to my delight not only was it an aisle but it was in Business Class and the ticket agent directed me to the airline executive club until my flight was ready to board.  Even now I smile to think of my incredible journey of upgrades.

Separation Anxiety

I was talking with a friend recently about how to pack as light as possible for trips and how hard it can be to take only what you really need.  She said that in spite of her good intentions, she experiences terrible last minute separation anxiety and feels compelled to over pack.  I laughed out loud and totally understood what she was talking about.  That is exactly how I feel the night before a trip, especially if it is overseas, I just never thought about it that way!  Somehow the thought of being so far away from home and not having my “stuff” causes a totally irrational fear!  

It is very interesting to me that I would suffer so much with this as I am a true believer in travel light and keep it simple.  But something comes over me at the last minute and I start rethinking my entire packing strategy, everything from what clothes to bring to what bag to put them in, truly unbelievable and very stressful.  That is the reason I do an initial pre-pack a few days ahead of time, just so I can rework every aspect before making my final decision the night before.  I can tell you that it does help minimize the anxiety but does not eliminate it.   Now mind you, I do not travel into the wilderness where there will be no resources to get whatever I need and I have never, ever been anywhere that I could not get something essential but still the dread looms.  What I have to do is bring it down to the absolute basics - if I have my passport, wallet and phone I will be fine and I know I will have a wonderful trip! 

Work Travel

Sometimes traveling for work feels like a paid vacation. I get to fly to a new city, stay at the nicest hotels, eat at great restaurants with rental cars and taxis all paid for. It can be a wonderful experience and to some people it seems very glamorous indeed. What they don’t see is the down side… I have to leave home on Sunday to be there for a Monday morning meeting with no sleep because the hotel was noisy or the endless hours spent at the airport and living away from home all week. All of that is fine when you are in the Bahamas but it can be quite a challenge when you have to work all week and then you have a 16 hour travel day just to get back home for 1-2 days and then start all over again.

To say it wears on me is an understatement. I fortunately have a choice in the work that I do and I have to remember to pace myself. What I do not want is my love of travel to be tarnished by the stress of working on the road. So what I try to do to make it more manageable is to stay over a weekend just to have fun and enjoy the area that I am visiting and I always plan a trip for pure pleasure so that I have something to look forward to. Somehow the hours at the airport feel very different if you are going to work or going on holiday!

Summer Vacation

When I was growing up my family took one trip each summer to see our relatives either by car, bus or train.  Even though we would bicker the entire way I really enjoyed exploring whatever new place we were in.  Something as simple as eating lunch at the roadside café was fascinating to me.  Everywhere we went the people seemed so different and interesting.  I would watch them and imagine what exciting lives they must lead. 

One year we took a road trip to California to visit our family.  I had never been to the coast or seen the ocean before.  It was incredible to me and I remember how small I felt standing at the edge of the water.  I thought if something so amazing was this close to home, what must the rest of the world look like?  Looking back on that young girl I know exactly where my love of travel began.  My desire and curiosity to discover those amazing things outside of my normal existence have filled my life with wonder and no matter now near or far it always feels like a grand adventure.

Bucket List

It is very interesting to me how my bucket list has shrunk to a fraction of its former size.  I have always kept a list of places that I would like to visit.  Whenever I read an interesting article in a magazine or saw a program on television that caught my attention, I would write it down. 

Long before the internet, I would call the airlines on Thursday to see if they had any cheap last minute seats – going anywhere for the weekend.  It didn’t matter if it was to see beautiful gardens in Canada or just walk on the beach in Florida, I would grab my bag and go.

Now I want to go fewer places and stay much longer.  Taking the time to relax and immerse myself in the local environment.  I don’t want to follow the crowds to the tourist attractions; I want to experience the heart and soul of where I am.

What not to do in Paris

A couple of years ago, a friend of mine had a child who was accepted to study in France.  We thought it would be fun if we went to see him and stay in Paris for a week.  She was not an experienced traveler but I assured her that I would look out for her and we would be just fine.  Paris is a gorgeous city and I knew this would be the trip of a lifetime for her.

We decided to rent an apartment so we would have plenty of room and privacy during the trip.  That was the first big mistake – the owner of the apartment was still living there when we arrived and wanted us to share the apartment with him for the week.  I immediately said no and that we would find other accommodation – my “friend” told him it would be fine!  I was stunned and felt very vulnerable and insisted that we go to a hotel. 

We found a lovely small hotel in Central Paris that would be perfect for our stay.  I did tell her (more than once) that we needed to be cautious about our belongings and personal safety while we were there.  Neither of us spoke French very well – although she thought she did and proceeded to insult almost everyone she spoke to. 

As we headed out to see the sights, I told her that we needed to take all of our valuables (passports, money etc.) with us or leave them at the front desk.  I left the do not disturb sign on the door and we were on our way.  It was a lovely day and I was sure the drama was behind us and our trip could officially begin.  When we returned to the hotel someone had been in our room and gone through all of our things.  I was very surprised when she said that not only had she left all of her valuables in the room (some of which were now missing) but she had mentioned to a nice person in the hallway that we were leaving for the entire day!  To say I was surprised is an absolute understatement; this was an otherwise intelligent woman who was clearly out of her element and making both of us unsafe!

That was just the beginning; this woman was the classic American tourist.  Everything from carrying her Rick Steve’s book to wanting to go in secluded areas after dark, she was a walking target.  She grew tired of my trying to educate her on safety and ultimately went off on her own.  Fortunately, we were able to get back home safe and sound but not before we had a few more episodes – like her arguing with Customs getting back into the US. 

That trip was a great example of why I travel alone.  You really don’t know someone until you have traveled with them.  Perhaps I should have titled this – who not to go anywhere with!  The ultimate lesson for me is to be far more selective about my travel companions in the future.