When you dream that you are queuing at the airport, you know that something is about to happen. It’s been a year and a half without international travel, all of the things we used to complain about when traveling will become a HAPPY thing now. Night trains, shocking exchange rates, falling victim to silly scams… oh the things we would do to get in the middle seat on a long haul flight.
With global vaccination rates on the rise and countries opening up, hope is overwhelming. Obviously there’s all the great things about travel that we can’t wait to come back to – meeting new people, learning about other cultures, getting out of our comfort zone, trying new things. , seek independence, take a break, enjoy lots of fun – to name a few. But after all this time being so close to home, there are some surprises we never thought we’d miss. Take a trip upstream of memory.
Packing
Clothes hanging neatly in your closet? Double socks? Is the phone charger plugged into its usual place? How is depressed. It’s much more fun when your possessions are cluttered in an irrevocable mess inside your backpack. Or scattered on the dorm floor, if you are that person.
Airport security
There’s nothing quicker to bring you down than a nice long line. Call us crazy, but we can’t wait to get in line for airport security one day not too far away. Our shoes and belts have been taken off.
‘Flights delayed’
A devastating combination of words. However, a delayed flight is a flight somewhere. Next time we see this phrase on a bulletin board, we’ll head back to Costa to buy another old croissant.
Airline food
What do you know? The food on the plane isn’t really that bad. On some airlines, it’s actually possible, dare we say, decent! Cute lunches, vegetarian options, small glasses of wine on request – a delicious meal at 30,000 feet To be Feasibility. Especially when the meal is said to be accompanied by an in-flight movie on a screen two inches from your face.
Clap when the plane lands
Admit it: you’ll applaud as soon as you embark on your next adventure.
Mortgage exchange rate
Thanks to hidden fees and extortionate rates, it’s easy to feel scammed when exchanging cash at an airport or tourist area. Sure, it only costs a few dollars, but when you’re on vacation, it’s ALL worth it! But to be standing at a trading floor in Bangkok airport right now, we are willing to sacrifice a few dollars.
Got ripped off
You set foot in a new country and all you want to do is go to your accommodation to close your eyes. You take a taxi/tuk-tuk/grab, but when you start going through the city, you think: is this the fastest route? Google Maps says that Street. Have the taxi meter look a little suss? We’re all vulnerable to time zone differences (hence INTRO includes individual airport pick-ups on group tours) but at this rate we’ll happily throw money through the door. book; as long as we finally get to a hotel.
Dormitory Dormitory
Top bed again?! Where is the light switch? How many people are sharing this bathroom? Which faucet is for hot water? Dorms can be confusing at times, but having been stuck in the familiar comforts of home for so long, we’re fine with a little of that in our lives.
The enchanting fog of jet lag
Looking forward to sinking a beer at 10am. Waking up in the middle of the night with the rage of a thousand coffees. Sunlight hits your retina when your brain wants to hit the hay. The symptoms of jet lag aren’t exciting, but they don’t seem to be as bad anymore. We have been So dramatic.
Dragging heavy luggage
‘Light Pack’ they said. ‘Pugging a suitcase through the sand was no fun and it was quite hot’ they said. They were right. You did this to yourself. However, we’d rather have a sore arm and carry a dilapidated suitcase than leave a suitcase sitting in a corner covered in industrial dust. Soon, my precious.
Night train
The thought of spending a night in a creaking ‘bed’ often frightens you, but the thrill of waking up in a completely different place makes it worth it. We are willing to commit to overnight train travel in Thailand or Vietnam on these days.
Take a nap at every opportunity
On the bus? Easy. Airport floor? Of course. After an early morning exploring Angkor Wat at sunrise? A necessity! You’ve never had a better nap than when you’re traveling.
Free hostel breakfast
Because cereal and orange juice taste better when free of charge.
Drunk on the bus
So you had a great time last night – even though you knew you were going to get on the bus at 8am – now you’re paying the price. With a water bottle in one hand, a paper bag in the other, every atom in your body is ready to get off the bus. But this too will pass, and tonight you will be at your new destination, ready to start all over again. Guess we never learn. ¯\_(?)_/¯
Language barriers
We’ve all said silly things when we tried to understand ourselves in another language. Communicating through broken phrases and waving hand gestures can be one of the hardest things we do, but it’s a luxury to make these mistakes. We will never take those humble moments of communication for granted again.
Completely disconnected from social media
No family insults, but island hopping in the Philippines is a VERY welcome break from the group chat antics. We wish we had an excuse to go offline right now.
If we don’t make it clear, we can’t wait to wipe our passports clean. When traveling again, remember not to take it for granted. After all, traveling the world is a privilege, not a right. And this time we will happily sit in the middle seat.
