Life is very Good

What a perfect day in Paris, it's warm with a light breeze blowing as I sit outside at a lovely Brasserie on Rue Cler and watch the world go by. Eating fantastic fresh oysters and sipping a gorgeous glass of wine I'm not sure that it gets any better than this.

La vie est bonne!

Change Your Routine and Stay Safe

Sometimes when we travel we can become complacent – especially if we are travelling for work or spend a lot of time in the same place.  As creatures of habit, it is totally normal to get into a daily routine when we are away from home.  For me, it is usually getting up at the same time, having my morning coffee before going downstairs for breakfast and then out for the day. 

The problem occurs when we get distracted or lose sight of our surroundings.  I was talking with a friend, who also travels a lot, about a scary experience she had at her hotel.  After coming back from work, she was checking her phone and didn’t pay much attention to the man on the elevator until he got off on her floor instead of his own and followed her down the hall.  Feeling panicked she rushed into her room and closed the door.   In hindsight, she knew that was not a good idea and wished she had reacted differently, but the reality is most of us are so surprised by those situations that we instinctually go to our home even if it is a hotel room.  It’s like closing the front door on your house – you just feel safer being in your own place. 

I have had the same experience and reacted the same way more times than I care to admit but what I've learned is to change my behavior, especially when I am away from home.  I have developed a new routine so when something makes me feel uncomfortable I don’t have to think about it, I can react in a way that keeps me safe and does not make me more vulnerable. 

I pay a lot of attention to what is going on around me, especially on elevators and in parking structures.  I like to make brief eye contact and perhaps a polite comment about the weather.  It’s nice to chat with people but it also ensures that you could identify them if you had to.  At any moment that I feel the slightest discomfort, I stop and pretend I’ve lost something and need to go back to reception or some other public area, I do not go to my room.  Even at home I drive down the street instead of going into my garage if anything seems strange.  I do this so often now that it is second nature to me and I don’t have to try to figure it out when something does happen.   

In “The Gift of Fear” Gavin DeBecker talks about listening to our intuition instead of ignoring it and how to spot the signals of potential danger.  I think this is a must read for all women, especially those who travel alone. 

Safe and Happy Travels!

New Beginnings

I am beginning a new chapter in my life and this one promises to be the best yet.  When I travel I feel such a sense of wonder and delight and suddenly everything seems possible.  Things that I only dreamt of as a girl now are within my reach.  Every new place I visit only deepens the desire for more.  Every trip touches me and changes my life in so many ways.  My view of the world expands and I have learned something I would never have known.

This lovely poem by Michele LeDoux sums it up nicely - As I begin this journey of mine, I will loosen my laces and remove my boots to protect me from absolutely nothing.

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!