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The Secrets of Traveling
(Top 10 Travel Tips)
By
Brian Block-AAO
As a traveling Sales Rep,
working in the Outdoor/Climbing industry, covering 12 states in the
Midwest, as well as making the necessary trips to International Sales Meetings
and such I find myself on the road or in the air a minimum of 265 days a
year. This is definitely not the lifestyle for everyone, much less
anyone that wants to stay married, have a home social life, a nice yard,
etc.
From this extensive travel experience
over the last 2 plus years I’ve been able to glean some truly useful
travel tips that apply to the weekend excursion, the extended car
camping trip, and even the extended layover flight type travel. The
majority of these tips are centered around traveling solo, as that is my
modus operandi. Traveling in tandem or in a group can be fun in and of
itself, dependent upon the company that you keep. “Sweaty Bob” from
accounting might not be the “ideal” travel partner.
Whether the majority of your travel
consists of the 40 minute office commute, the once a week flight to the
new “job site”, or the extended rock climbing road trip to the great
climbs of the West, the following 10 tips will make any and every
excursion more enjoyable, more productive, and in turn just more fun.
Tip 1: Get the
“Right” Travel Bag! Whether
you are making the office commute and just have to wrangle your cell
phone, coffee, paperwork and laptop from the car to the office, much
less living our of one carry-on for 2-5 days, having the right bag can
make all the difference.
The
right bag will have the right number of pockets, the right amount of
space-some expandability is a nice option to have. Some days you might
be carrying gear for a lunch time workout and some days just the
laptop. Look at what you “need” to get through your busiest day, find a
bag that will hold it in an organized fashion, and add 10%. You never
know when you’re going to see the “best product ever” in airways
magazine and then of course the necessary stuffed animal at the gift
shop for the significant other or child. Showing up at the baggage
terminal with a “new friend” you’ve found yourself conversing with about
the stuffed animal for your nephew while your significant other is there
to meet you can “complicate” issues-put it in the bag.
The
extra space can allow that same bag to be your daily business bag as
well as your carry-on “computer” bag. Remember, if you can fit it under
the seat you can pass it off as carry-on. Depending on how much your
traveling on this trip or how many layovers you have, having that extra
goody, like an MP3 player or book you’ve been meaning to finish, can
make all the difference.
Having too big of a bag can be an issue as well. Just because you can
lift it doesn’t mean that it’s a match. A bag too big will just
encourage you to find superfluous items to add into it. I’ve found that
too big a bag will swallow up those things that I was sure I had lost
and since it’s big enough to just keep adding items you aren’t emptying
it out but in an emergency.
Tip 2: Make a
List! Whether you’re out for
the day, or on a month long trip, forgetting that thing you need can
make or break a trip. Having the right bag and getting a system of
order-this pocket if for my PDA-etc can aid in this. However there’s no
substitute for a list.
By
making a list on a pad, an envelope, a bar napkin, in your PDA, you’re
assuring yourself that you have a fall back to when you were thinking
more clearly. By keeping a list you increase your level of organization
which in turn decreases your level of stress. By “knowing” that you
already though of it you’re creating yourself breathing room you’re
setting yourself up better to deal with those unexpected items like:
slow traffic, air delays, missed wake-up calls, etc.
Tip 3: Always
Carry a Project! Invariably
during travel there will always be down time. Whether it’s waiting for
a connection, stuck in traffic, or time between appointments, you’ll
always find yourself with time on your hands. Even just the act of
travel, while you’re making forward momentum can be time consuming. The
hours spent driving between appts or destinations, time on the plane, on
the bus, etc.
By
carrying a project, and by this I mean something that you enjoy doing,
makes you feel better about yourself and your place in this world,
expands your mind, or is just plain fun, you are setting yourself up to
take more from the travel experience.
Some
great projects are: listening to a book on tape/CD, crossword puzzles,
PDA and Cell Phone Games, calling friends that you’ve neglected, reading
the paper, learning a new language, people watching-(be careful not to
stare), etc. The important thing is that you have some other
directive that adds to the travel experience.
Travel can be fun in and of itself, but by making it “part” of the
experience” you are assuring yourself that you won’t be dwelling solely
on the destination and it will in turn dispel any potential frustrations
that you might be feeling if left to your own designs.
Tip 4: Bring
something from home! By this
I don’t mean the kitchen sink or anything like that. It might be an
alarm clock, a favorite lucky charm, a pillow, etc. This of course
should be relative to your distance and length of travel from home as
well as your mode of transportation.
I’ve
found that my favorite item for keeping it “homey” while I’m on the road
for extended periods is my favorite pillow. Hotel pillows never seem to
be of the right consistency/thickness, etc and knowing that each night,
regardless of how the day went, I’m going to lay my head down and sleep
well-it provides a level of comfort.
If
the majority of your travel is business related, it’s best to keep that
item for personal times. In today’s world-especially that of the mobile
office, it’s hard not to bring work home with you. Even if you’re
trapped in a cube having something in your briefcase can help to bring
you back to center after a tough meeting or stressful day. I personally
carry a Lucky Coin and a Miniature Buddha. Some other good items are:
Worry stones, photos, etc. Find what works for you and use it. At the
end of the day it should have it’s place so that you’re sure to know
where it is the following day.
Tip 5: Be on the
Spot Ready! On the spot ready
means that you’ve got the essentials of what you “need” to make it where
you are for as long as you think you might be stranded/lucky enough to
be there.
The
gear list to be ready on the spot is of course directly proportional to
the travel you ploan to encounter. When I drove from Des Moines, Iowa to Talkeetna, AK and back in 2002, some 3800
miles one-way, we were loaded down with everything from food for a week
to 10 extra gallons of gas. Probably not the most ideal items for your
carry-on baggage, unless of course you like jail time.
Food
is not a bad thing to have on your person. A power-Bar/Cliff Bar type
item that will last a while at the bottom of your bag, while at the same
time has a stoumachable flavor might be just the thing when you’re
snowed in at the airport after the food court is closed or the line is
so long that you don’t have time to wait. A little food can keep you
metabolizing and your mind fueled.
Having a toothbrush, an extra jacket/umbrella, sunglasses, and your
project are a must. Getting stuck in the terminal is what you make of
it. The right bag, a jacket and sunglasses can make for great power
napping materials.
Tip 6: Build in
Flexibility! By building
flexibility into your travel schedule you are creating opportunities for
yourself. By overscheduling/overplanning you will more often then not
find yourself disappointed with what you didn’t get done more so then
satisfied with what you did. This will be especially frustrating for
you and your appointment both if you have someone else depending on you
to meet your overextended expectations of what you can fit in.
By
scheduling in flexibility to your travel schedule you’re also allowing
yourself to take advantage of “surprise” opportunities such as side
tours, business emergencies, eating, etc. I’m currently shooting about
50% at earning a free airline ticket for each flight that I take by
allowing myself to be bumped as I build in the flexibility. I of course
have my projects whatever I need to make it a couple of days on the spot
and if nothing else, there’s always work that I can do on the laptop.
Tip 7: Split it
Up! When you’re traveling in
any form it is a good idea to keep at least one credit card separate
from all of your other monetary sources. You never know when you’re
going to lose a wallet, be robbed, or find yourself battling identity
theft while still trying to travel. It’s hard to use a credit card that
you’ve frozen.
A good idea is to keep that separate
credit card in your travel bag, glove compartment or both. When
traveling into particularly hairy locales, keeping one in the sole of
your shoe and nothing but cash in your pockets-small broken bills in
your usual cash pocket and larger bills in your “off” pocket. This is
to ensure that even if you are the victim of a street mugging you can
give up “all your money” from your left pocket and still have the money
in your right. Most muggers don’t really want to reach into your pocket
and when you are in a panicked situation you will more likely reach for
your usual money pocket and give what you want-forgetting the other
money in your “off” pocket. A welcome surprise later.
A good way to protect your back-up credit
cared protected-should your bag be stolen or your car broken into, is to
keep it from being activated. You can either call your credit card
company and tell them that you want it “on-hold” until you call in and
verify your personal information and or a password.
Another option is when registering for
the credit card-list your home phone as your cell phone-provided you’re
most likely traveling in a country/area that you can use your cell
phone, as most card companies require that you call from your “home”
phone in order to activate it.
If you are registered with one of those
Credit Card Protection agencies that offers an umbrella of protection
should your wallet be stolen, don’t list this card with them. This card
or card should be listed as a separate entity. Let the umbrella company
pin down those other cards and sort that out while you continue with
your travel experience. After all, it’s hard to check into a hotel when
you’re “pretty sure” that you lost your wallet while whitewater rafting,
but have to call them in as lost/stolen and they freeze your acct.
Tip 8: Be Aware! More often then not people miss out on making their travel experience
as good as it could be because they don’t know what their options are
and or are robbed of important possessions. Of course the level of
importance of one or the other is directly proportional to where you’re
travel plans take you.
I’ve
had friends lose the majority of their luggage-expensive cameras, iPod,
etc, while taking a 10 minute nap on the train in Spain. A very costly
and unfortunate incident that could have been easily avoided. Now of
course what I’m suggesting in the immediate may sound like a bit of
paranoia, but when you start to put some of these things into practice
and it becomes second nature they’re really simple and shouldn’t affect
your psyche so much that you can’t go out in public.
As a
Boyscout I learned the motto “Be Prepared”. As vague as it is that is
some of the best advice. When traveling you should constantly be asking
yourself what things you should be prepared for. If eating in a dingy
restaurant that’s well beyond capacity-you should know where the exits
are if a fire were to break out. If sitting in the Airport bar you
should wrap the computer bag strap around your ankle or the bottom let
of the chair. Lot’s harder to walk off with for
a thief. If your flight is delayed, or you built in extra time in the
layover, you should look into and be able to tell the ticketing agent of
another option “specifically” that you were thinking about pursuing.
Often times you can fly stand-by on an earlier or different flight at no
additional cost. The key is not to make more work for the person that
has to accommodate you and of course be courteous.
By
keeping yourself aware of the situation that you’ve decided to immerse
yourself into by traveling and by embracing the nuances that surround
it, you are creating a buffer for yourself that will reduce stress and
put you in the optimal position to enjoy your travel experience. Look
at it this way, what was the best test you ever took. The one you had
all the answers to, right?!
Tip 9: Be
Courteous-and mean it!
Whether your checking in for a flight, getting a room for the night, or
finding out what the delay is with your scheduled departure time-BE
COURTEOUS! Most travelers forget that this little thing can go a long
way. Delays can be frustrating and really throw a wrench into your
travel plans. You need to keep in perspective however that –with the
exception of some airline knavery-they don’t want to be running any
later then you want them to and chances are the young lady/man behind
the counter that you’re giving a “what-for” has nothing to do with the
fact that the aileron computer on some plane that isn’t even in the
local terminal has managed to malfunction.
You’d be surprised at how far a little courtesy can actually go. I’ve
actually been 3rd in line checking into a hotel during a busy
tradeshow weekend and some poor girl was left to manage the check-in
station during prime busy hours. I had forgotten to request a room with
a Fridge and Microwave when making my reservations. Each of the two
groups ahead of me in the check-in line had asked for that feature-also
having forgotten to specify during reservations. They were obviously
grumpy having to wait for the service they felt that they deserved.
Both groups were promptly told that there were no more such rooms
available. When I got to step up to the counter and was asked the
obligatory-“how are you today and do you have a reservation?” I shot
right back with a “Great and how are you?” Amazingly most people in the
service industry ask the question and never get a real response much
less a request as to how they are-it goes a long way. Warning-buy
asking and meaning it you may have to hear all about how the spouse ran
off and the kids are in trouble and such. Regardless you’ve made a new
friend.
To
make a long story short when I was at the counter that I added that I’d
be interested in one of the rooms with a Microwave/Fridge if it might
come open later in the week and would be sure to specify that request in
future bookings. She of course said that none were available and
completed our transaction, winked and when I arrived in my room there
was a Microwave and Fridge and I knew that I had made someone’s day
better by treating them like a person rather then a servant as well as
got what I wanted where others had failed. I even called back down to
the office to say thanks.
Tip10: Recognize
your Place! Whenever we are
in the travel mode, things are prone to go “wrong”. For some more then
others Murphy’s law seems to be the one unfailing characteristic that
will always prevail. Accidents will happen, tires will go flat, wrong
turns will be made and flights will be delayed. It’s what you do, how
you handle that situation that will make or break your experience.
If
you’re on vacation with no set itinerary, other then to destination and
home, which is how I like to travel, then you have just need to keep
that in perspective. A wrong turn here and traffic delay there can be
very frustrating if you’re running late for a business meeting, for you
and your appt both. By being organized and having a list and a plan,
etc, you should be in a position to make the preemptive call to your
appt that you’ll be late and why. For the most part your appt will
appreciate the fact that you’re calling in advance and in many cases
will know that “the 65” gets busy on Tuesday’s at 3 and “feel bad” that
they hadn’t mentioned that prior.
If
however you are on vacation, and have no set itinerary to keep to, then
you should already be engaged in the moment. A wrong turn means getting
that much further in the book on tape that you were really enjoying,
seeing a part of the city/town that you might never see again-“be sure
and keep your doors locked and don’t make direct eye contact”, or find
yourself at the best restaurant that is a local’s favorite.
If you’re lucky enough to be traveling
with a companion it’s likely that the reason for the trip in the first
place-provided you like who you’re traveling with-was to spend time with
that individual in the first place. Lost or not you’re sharing and
experience and a potential adventure. What great story did you ever
hear from you neighbor about the vacation they took that went “according
to plan”.
So remember, you can use these tips to
help make your experiences more predictable as to the outcome; but even
if it doesn’t work out as you envisioned it, every waking minute that
you can take in stimuli that is new and different you are lucky!
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