the unglamorous side of travel
travel is enticing and inspiring and appealing and compelling.
except when it's exhausting and irritating and frustrating and demanding. i am currently on a fabulous month-long european journey with my husband.
i'm growing and adapting. i'm meeting interesting, fascinating people. i'm challenging my beliefs and expanding my horizons. i'm testing my limits. i'm having fun.
but . . . it hasn't all been the perfect world of facebook status updates. the unglamorous side of travel (my not-so-flawless list for march 2015):
long flights (the longest was over 10 hours), two layovers (sitting at one airport for 5+ hours), uncomfortable cramped seats (the ticket may say "world traveler" but it means "you're flying coach")
jet lag (luckily i usually recover quickly from this)
a "go go go" schedule (this trip is part pleasure/part business, with a lot of scheduled appointments)
internet issues (not helpful when i'm trying to meet with clients and write a weekly blog)
no hot water (for a full day)
GPS problems (and getting lost/arriving late a few times)
a mixed-up eating schedule (skipping meals and/or eating not-so-healthy meals, at all times of the day and night)
driving through two (unexpected) snowstorms
running out of change on toll roads (then having our credit card denied)
waking up early one morning temporarily blind in one eye (fortunately this lasted less than 15 minutes)
trying to avoid complaining/being annoying (a lot of togetherness on this journey)
many days/hours spent in the car, at least 3000 miles driven so far (through four different countries)
overcoming language barriers (i don't speak portuguese or spanish or french, feeling somewhat like a toddler must at his early stages of learning)
disturbances in my body's circadian rhythms (i love to travel, my body usually doesn't)
rough toilet paper (although i always bring a few rolls of my own!)
sharing one apartment with an army of ants and other bugs (kill.scratch.repeat.)
sinks that don't drain, heat that doesn't turn on, laundry that doesn't dry (those little things)
enduring "that time of the month" (more than once in one month)
city parking far far away from actual lodging (and hauling our luggage through the streets)
trying to smile through those "you're not from around here" stares (thankfully not often)
hearing news of a horrific plane crash in a country i just left (six days before i have to board a flight again)
packing/unpacking/repacking, over and over (at airbnb apartments, small inns, B&Bs, and hotels - a total of 12 different beds!)
what misadventures and escapades have you experienced while traveling? please share them with me in the comments below! ******* [#MyGlobalLife link-up] ******* are you ready to embark on the essence7 journey? (click below for my free guide.) [maxbutton id="1"]
