When Travel Won’t Cooperate

It’s here.  After your weeks, months or years of planning and saving it’s time to travel.  Your ticket’s booked.  Your bag is packed.  You’re ready to reward all your hard work with the trip of a life time.  Problem is Travel has a mind of its own.  And while Travel is often beautiful and accommodating, sometimes it just won’t cooperate.

Travel shouts and screams with delayed flights and unforeseen torrential downpours.  It blows through your money and leaves you broke half way through your vacation.  It trips you up with a cold, flu or incurable diarrhea.   You seem to get lost at each street corner.  You run out of gas in the middle of nowhere.  The locals rip you off left, right and centre.  Don’t be fooled by bright colored travel pamphlets; Travel is moody and unpredictable.

So what do you do when Travel won’t cooperate?

You give in, and then get over it.

When Travel wants its way it gets its way.  But at the end of the day, with all its moodiness and unpredictability Travel is something you crave.  What was bad today will be better tomorrow.  Or the next day.  Or the next trip.  Fact is Travel will always wind up apologizing for its behavior with an unexpected adventure, an upgrade on your flight home or a chance encounter with locals who become friends.

Getting lost...

...means finding hidden places.

Travel’s unpredictability is half the fun.  It keeps you guessing and riding between moments of frustration and unimaginable moments of awe.  The thunder storm that ruined your afternoon tour ends with a rainbow over the city that stops you in your tracks.  The non-refundable bus trip you missed leads you to hike to the next town and encounter breathtaking scenery along the way.  Your lost luggage means you’ll head home with a suitcase of new exotic clothes that will become your favorite outfits.  Travel’s funny like that.  It’s these same seeming annoyances (which you later call “experiences”) that make you participate with Travel, rather than just casually observe from the sidelines.  These unplanned, unrehearsed and unscheduled events cause you to submit to Travel’s pace and tastes.  You’re forced to see a new place for what it is, with all its realities and complexities.  You’re forced to push your boundaries to keep up with Travel’s demands.  And, inevitably, encounter new people, places and strange looking foods along the way.

Missing the bus...

...means meeting new people.

Befriending Travel means signing on for Ups and Downs, but never Borings.  It means experiencing irritation, exasperation and frustration just moments before you find yourself smiling in amazement.  There’s no remedy for the extremes of Travel.  You just have to hold on tight while you bounce along, hoping Travel will reward your patience.  After all, sometimes Travel won’t cooperate.  But isn’t that why you love it?