Starting an exciting new chapter today that I’m excited to share soon - but it will involve a fair bit of international travel. Kicking it off this Sunday at the airport and my old travel habits still seem to be in tact - so without further ado, here my abridged travel guide /
Airport travel, to me, is ultimately an exercise in Zen and accepting things that you cannot control. You can’t control the people around you, if traveling internationally you will be meshing through cultures that may be complete opposites to yours. You can’t fly the plane etc /
So the best thing is to stay present and embrace what you cannot control /
First off is time - the plane will take off without you, and there’s little you can do to affect this. Best thing you can do is be early, but not so early that it’s a waste of time. Assume 30 minutes for security and 30 minutes for checkin - tack on 30-60 minutes for intl. /
If you find yourself in a time bind, this is the most important time to preserve your state of mind. Pushing yourself to the breaking point is no good when you have missed the plane and now need to figure out what to do. You can only speed up so much /
When facing a situation that you know you cannnot overcome (plane is taking off in 30 minutes and you are still checking in) then ask for help. Be nice, polite, and understanding. No one will want to help you if you are a jerk, and you can’t bend reality /
You could be the last person to board the plane, and in fact I encourage you to do so unless you have a good reason. The only good reason is if you think you stand a chance at staking out an empty row - this is super rare, and will often happen without intervention /
Another good reason is overhead if you have carry on baggage. This may be controversial but I think carry on luggage only makes sense for short trips. Checking in baggage does cost you 10-15 minutes on departure and 30-40 minutes at arrival but it costs the most mental energy /
On that subject - mental energy in travel is the key currency to optimize for. Most travelers arrive at the airport at a mental energy deficit already - stressed out, tired, late - they will try to drag you down with them. This is where the exercise in zen kicks in, dont let them
I use my time traveling as an opportunity to be a better person. If someone is stressed out and needs help, I help them - if they are in a rush I let them go ahead of me. I maintain my emotional currency and am generous with it. More often I get more back than I give /
Don’t mistake this for being a push over, however. I hold my lane, maintain my space and buffer. The key to this is anticipation - anticipate everything, but know that nothing is under your control. I’ll share a few key hacks /
Security check - it’s a lot more stressful to do stuff in line than not. I empty my pockets and carry nothing on my person but my ID and boarding pass. I remove my laptops from my bag and carry them in my hands through the line. /
I don’t wear belts when I fly, and I make sure I don’t wear a jacket or layer that needs to be removed. Wear shoes that can easily be slipped off without messing with the laces. Ideally without bending over either - such that you can take a step forward and be out of them /
Pre reserve the bins you need (one for shoes / etc / stuff you forgot to stuff in the backpack ) one for each laptop. At the table start packing from right to left, otherwise people behind you in their anxiety to get through security will leave you with no space /
Take a deep breath, people behind you will be on your back. If this upsets you explore the feeling, take a step backwards - let yourself bump into them. It is them pressuring you, perhaps they will get frustrated - this is not your fault, realize this and stay calm /
On the opposite side of security collect the pack and remove the bins. You already were carrying all of this stuff, so you can do it again. Walk (with socks - or even barefoot) out of the security area. Then in a calm setting replace all of your things / laptops into bags /
Per the comment above - don’t rush to board. Better to walk around the terminal. Find some food or water, again focus on comfort while it’s within your control. Once on the plane you are garaunteed a very limited space to move in /
Not sure if this is at all useful for anyone , but caught myself tracing these steps again today as I used to fly 8+ hours every other week some years ago. I’ve grown up with international travel, and have come to appreciate the experience!
