There’s a reason I have a blog for travel, even if I don’t
update it very often. I love being able
to see a place I haven’t seen before, having new experiences, and sharing those
experiences with others. And, as always,
any trip I take just makes me eager for the next one.
The cruise was a nice combo of hotel, transport, and
adventure and I highly recommend it. As
does the cruise line. Princess really
wants that money. Both during the trip
and with emails afterwards, they have bombarded me with brochures and discounts
for future travel. They had an offer
where if you put down a $100 deposit, they’d give you shipboard credits and a
grace period of two years to decide on your next cruise. I thought about it but didn’t commit. I want to see what other cruise lines have to
offer.
There is a growing issue that does make the idea of more
travel a bit tiresome. The planes. I flew out on Delta this trip. I’ve flown them before with few issues, but
this trip deserved some mention. I’ve
noticed that the last few flights I’ve taken have been more stressful than
usual. The boarding process at the
airports seemed more chaotic than it used to be. The airlines don’t feed you anything more
than chips and drinks unless you pay.
And then there is the legroom.
I have very long legs. Being compressed into an area smaller
than the driver’s seat of a car for several hours is not fun. The flight out of Atlanta to San Francisco is
only about 5 hours and even that was intolerable. I always chose the window seat when I
fly. That used to mean having a nice
view while only having to share a single armrest. Now, it feels more like being trapped in a
corner, desperately trying not to kick the seat in front of me or elbow the
person in the middle seat. All this
while trying to sleep, eat, or, you know, move to keep myself from cramping up.
Yes, the planes are equipped with Wi-Fi, power jacks, and several recent movies
to watch on your individual screens, but none of that makes the experience any
less unpleasant.
A guy sitting behind me on the way back to Atlanta expressed
my same sentiments. He was an avid
traveler for work, but once the airlines went from 35 inches of seat space to
28, travel became much more of a hassle.
The only alternative was to pay for first class or stop traveling. He was seriously considering the latter.
One other issue I had with this most recent trip. While standing in line for security at SFO, I
saw a sign saying that travelers whose driver’s licenses had a star in the
corner (and yes that includes Georgia) will no longer be able to use them for
flights as they won’t be considered a ‘real ID’ anymore. Starting in August (I think), the only ID
that will be excepted are passports. Even
for domestic flights. That’s
ridiculous. While I encourage everyone
to get a passport, people shouldn’t be forced to get one just to board a flight
within the states. I’m sure there’ll be
a lot of people turned away from airports after this law goes into effect
simply because they no longer have proper ID.
I wanted to end this entry with these general feelings on
travel not to discourage anyone (including myself) but as a reminder that no
trip is perfect; everyone encounters issues.
The mishaps of this trip only serve as hints of what I need to change
for next time. Research is key; my
packing was pretty spot-on thanks to YouTube videos on cruising (I recommend a
travel clock as most ships don’t have them).
But losing my glasses has confirmed that I need to pack a spare whenever
I travel (it is a miracle that this hasn’t happened before!). And I’m already planning to get a pair of
sunglasses as well. Fewer group outings
for me – too annoying. And, as much as I
hate to admit it, I might have to shell out the cash for plane upgrades for
longer flights. I don’t want to get to
the point of choosing not to travel because I don’t want to deal the actual
travelling part of the trip. Vacation is
worth the inconvenience and the hiccups.
Doesn’t mean you can’t minimize them whenever you can.
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