I am the first one to admit I am not a good traveller, certainly not a good air traveller and the reasons are many. I remember an adage from eons ago that went something like “time to spare – go by air” and that certainly is fitting today with the many cancellations and luggage issues with the airlines. But I digress.
Being on time is no small requirement for me. If I were to leave for the airport three days before my intended flight departure I would still fret about being late. Being late and me are not good companions; we’re not even friends to be perfectly honest. I can manage my visible angst about lateness when relying on another person to deliver me anywhere, while on the inside my stomach is churning. On my own, I merely head out with gobs of time allowing for a meteor hitting the road in front of me, a fifty-car pile-up, or any other charming disaster. You can never be too prepared.
I’ve spent time pondering my lack of enthusiasm for travel. I thoroughly enjoy hearing about my neighbour’s recent adventure to Cairo and the great pyramids. I savour the details of friends’ tales of Portugal and Spain. But not for one second do I envy these escapades, thankfully. I adore my own backyard and the safety of my own bed. Does that mean I’m not courageous or curious? I don’t think so. I’ve had my share of travel experiences and I’m grateful for them, but that ship has sailed. Travel now is limited to seeing those I love.
I know I’m not alone in my reluctance to travel; others feel similar sentiments regarding leaving home for a host of reasons. Psychology Today wrote about travel anxiety and quoted Freud from a letter he wrote to a friend saying, “Before every journey I fall into a state of dreadful anxiety and doubt my courage to undertake it.” Perhaps it has more to do about feeling in control and willingly handing over our own sense of safety to another. Whatever the explanation, many of us feel it.
I tend to grumble when I see travellers hauling everything but the kitchen sink into the cabin with them. Airlines have rules but I’ve never actually been witness to the enforcement of said rules. When I see the mountains of unclaimed luggage at the airport, I have a new understanding of why no one wants to check their bags. We’ve all heard the horror stories. I’m surprised some of the charter airlines are still in business when I read about the many claims of lost luggage, cancelled flights and abandoned passengers. My recent arrival back into the Halifax International Airport revealed quite an inventory of luggage piled in the corner and I couldn’t help wondering when that luggage would be reunited with its respective owners.
I struggle with being confined in small spaces for any amount of time. The economy seats in most airlines seem to be shrinking. I watched a woman of normal size sitting across from me on a recent flight trying to put a small tote bag under the seat in front of her. She had to get out of her seat to place the bag where it was to be stowed during takeoff and landing. Tall people have a brutal time trying to tuck their lengthy legs into the space allowed. The flight attendants must angle their bodies to fit down the aisles as they hurry up and down to do their job. Confined spaces require me to sit still, not my strong suit. Do we have a voice in requiring a reasonable amount of space during travel? It seems not.
What is the take-away from my recent experience of travel? Heavy winter clothing makes the space seem even smaller, so I should limit my travel to the other seasons. Focus on the destination rather than the journey. I was successfully able to mentally remove myself from an hour inside an MRI machine so flying in an airplane should be a walk in the park. Perhaps I could learn not to take life too seriously; now is as good a time as any to hand the worry over to those in charge. Seeing my daughters is worth every second of angst, so best to change the narrative in my busy brain.
wendistewart@live.ca
