Learn to Enjoy the Journey
So Dastardly Covid is over, mask restrictions lifted, no proof of negative tests or vaccines and we are all ready to spread our wings and get the hell out of Dodge.
But…… we have gas issues, things are expensive. We have staffing issues, cut backs… and then there is the summer weather, storms, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc…
So what to do? For those like me, we are still going to do it. We are going to look on the bright side, because that’s what we do.
You get to the airport and there is a delay or cancellation. You get rebooked and you CONTINUE with the mindset that you are on Vacation.
Start your vacation time right at the airport.
Go for some ‘Me Time’. Grab a latte or beer and sit back to do what you love.
There’s the old standards:
computer games
a good book
a podcast
a call to mom
call an old friend
Zoom with Grandma or Grandkids
catch up on emails, or social media
download a movie or audio with your headset/earbuds
wordgames
crotchet
crossword puzzles
doodle art on your Ipad
go to lunch or dinner
Shop !
Maybe reach out, say hello and make a new friend! OR… PLAN ahead and Google your airport amenities prior to your arrival at the airport and make some appointments.
Many of our major airports are becoming small cities.
You can find rooftop pools, aquariums, yoga studios, little sleep capsules, showers, live music, art exhibitions, indoor gardens, mani/pedis, massages, see dinosaur bones, watch a sports game, play at arcades, grab a bike, skates, showers, even steamrooms.
You can take a major walk, shop, and of course there are restaurants and bars,
Remind yourself that the vacation started the minute you left home. So treat yourself well and seek out amenities. Live like the jet-set, international travelers: the movers and the shakers.
It’s important to remember that travel isn’t about the destination, it’s the journey.
A Tourist visits just to say they’ve been there. You know, a quick photo of yourself standing in front of Cheers Bar in Boston, but never stepping foot inside for a cold beer? Yeah, that’s a tourist. And anybody can find a picture online of the Cheers Bar. You don’t need to post it on social media, unless you are in there hamming it up with the locals and the bartender, where everybody knows your name.
A Traveler takes in the culture and seeks to blend with the locals and other travelers. You can do this right at the airport, prior to ever leaving your destination.
So suck up those delays and enjoy. Yes, most things will cost money but you were going to spend money on vacation anyway. Why delay? If you miss a day at your destination, you’ll gain a day by relaxing at your airport.
Here’s some examples-
Singapore, you can get a afternoon at the pool with a non-alcoholic drink for $13.00.. you’ll likely pay close to that just downloading a movie, (but with less exercise and no doubt a free shower, too).
Check out just a few of these unusual ways to spend the beginning of your vacay.
Austin has live music- 4 stages
Switzerland has walking poles and ice skating
Milwaukee has ping-pong tables
San Fran- get a facial and do some yoga
Dallas- get a massage
Denver-The skywalk offers a few museum-quality displays that rotate through stories of Colorado Aviation. Ride the underground train. Concourse B has a children’s play area.
Minneapolis -1.4 mile walking path and airport mall, multiple mosaics decorate both concourses, the airport hosts an annual employee art show and contest, and a trio of Snoopy statues makes for a fun scavenger hunt.
Seattle- Live Music, dog relief area, children’s play area.
Chicago Ohara- Dinosaur bones, in terminal 1, compliments of Field’s Museum
PHiladelphia- Free yoga mats
Baltimore-Washington International Airport has an Airport Gym
Phoenix- marked walking paths and art display
Midway Airports- Yoga free-to-use spaces set aside, with loaner yoga mats.
Nashville- Shoe Shine, Nail Salon, Live Music
Charlotte- Large Adirondack rocking chairs for people watching, gabbing on the phone, reading a book
Portland- Rotating Art Exhibits, Volunteer Musicians Daily
JFK- Time Travel TWA Exhibit
London Heathrow- Spa services, Showers, Art Gallery
Las Vegas –slot machines
Singapore- Giant lovely waterfall
Seoul – has nine hole golf
Munich has a beer garden
Vancouver has an aquarium
Frankfurt has a flight simulator!
Google your departure airport amenities.
Then get ready to enjoy your time. Don’t forget your word games, crotchet, crossword puzzles, doodle art on your tablet.
One can all ahead and change their hotel, vacations/tours/ etc. …with 24 hrs. notice, it happens everyday. So quit yer bitchin’ , enjoy your journey. Enjoy yourself for a while, for a change.
Travel is still one of life’s greatest joys and mysteries, if you decide to allow it to happen.
Definition-North American - Noun -Va-ca-tion an extended period of leisure and recreation, especially one spent away from home or in traveling.
LIFE IS NEVER BORING, BUT SOME PEOPLE CHOOSE TO BE BORED- Wayne Dyer