Travel Grind

I like the grind of travel. I like waking up for a 3 am flight and having a cup of coffee before I take off, watching as the sun breaks over the horizon, knowing that my journey is about to begin while the rest of the world sleeps. Despite the hassle at times, I like the logistics of navigating an airport, going through security, finding my gate, and the smug feeling of not having to check my 36L Osprey bag.

I like brutal travel plans, ones that stop at four different airports with long layovers rather than a direct flight that would have taken a third of the time. I like knowing that the next 30+ hours are mine. My boss isn’t going to call, my friends are busy with their lives, and it’s perfectly acceptable for me to have a beer at 9 am while spending two hours on a crossword puzzle eating an overpriced pretzel.

I like hunting through the airport for the perfect seat and call me greedy, but an accessible electrical outlet as well. I like walking past the luxury brand stores that reek of perfume while wondering who actually buys luxury goods at airports. I like transiting through shitty airports with no chargers and a metal armrest on every seat so you can’t lay down just so I can appreciate good airports even more.

I like that although airports have some of the highest foot traffic in the world, they aren’t social places. As travelers, we are alone together. Everyone has their own itinerary. As we walk through the concourse together, we are in our own worlds, listening to music, calling our loved ones, or taking time to finally read that book we haven’t managed to pick up all year. We might smile at each other, have a brief conversation about a flight delay, or share a meal in a densely packed food court, but after a few hours, we’ll all be off, headed for a new destination or a familiar one.

I like trying to find the best currency kiosk and, as I walk away, trying to figure out exactly how much money I lost just for the convenience of having local currency ahead of time. I enjoy watching people go through security who have clearly never done it before. I like to silently judge people who have five suitcases piled in one of those rollers and wonder what exactly was so important they had to bring it. Even though I’ve been traveling for years, I still don’t understand the use of neck pillows. I’ve used a variety - foam, cotton, silicon balls, and still don’t get the appeal.

I revel in watching two non-native English speakers interact in English, as one of them will ultimately realize that their English is better and take command of the conversation. I like strolling through souvenir shops, attempting to spend the last of my local currency and pocketful of change on gifts that I forgot to buy while traveling.
I like wandering through an airport at 3 am and finding somewhere cozy to watch Netflix while I wait for my early morning flight. Airports are one of the only public places where you can sleep on the ground using your backpack as a pillow without having people silently judge you. I like getting lost in time zones and not quite knowing what time my internal clock is at, regardless of the fact that I know it will take me some time to adjust once I land.

It’s an odd thing to take pleasure in, but I enjoy the transition period between destinations - the point where I have left, but haven’t yet arrived. I’m in a travel limbo for whatever brief period of time and in that moment, nothing else matters. Even now in Thailand state quarantine, I’m in a transition period. I’m in my destination country, but not really. Sure, I have work and can exercise a bit, but my adventures in Thailand haven’t really started. Though not ideal to waste 2 weeks in a hotel, there is some pleasure in knowing that these 2 weeks are my time and that I have nothing else to do besides that which I wish. Though I do have a new appreciation for the movie “Oldboy”.

There’s something about the travel grind that I’m drawn to. Whether it’s a multi-stop flight, or a flight-train-bus-taxi combo just to get from point A to point B - I love it. It’s part of why I continue to travel. Sure, there’s a convenience to having a private jet and flying wherever you want at a moment’s notice, but whether or not I’ll ever reach that point, in the meantime, I’ll enjoy my time lost among the sea of fellow travelers.