Hi everyone,
Today I want to talk about traveling again but the traveling time itself (for example, the time you spend in airports or on planes, in buses etc.) (If you want to read about the benefits of traveling to different destinations, check my post here). I am writing this post because I will travel across the ocean tomorrow and one of the things I am most excited about is the fact that I will spend a lot of time in airports and on planes. I genuinely feel happy about this. This post will be based on what I experience in my long flights (13-ish hours) from Turkey to the US and vice versa, but it applies to any long-enough travel.
Then, obviously, I asked myself why I like being on planes so much? Or buses. Or cars on a road trip. I have two answers to this question so far.
One is that traveling gives me a huge opportunity for self-reflection. I tend to travel long distances at least in several months, so I pile up some experiences in those months. When I am on a plane, I have a lot of time to think about the past several months and evaluate them. Can I not do this evaluation at home? I personally can’t. At least not as well. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I want to do something all the time, so it is hard for me to spend enough time on such self-reflection. When I am on a plane, I don’t have many chances but to sit for long hours. So, what am I going to do all this time? Reflect…
The second reason why I like flying is that they always signal a new beginning for me. When we travel, we head to a place we have not been for a while. So, I think I get the sense that I am refreshed. For example, I will fly to Turkey tomorrow. I have not been in that country for the last few months, so I see this as the start of a temporary change from my usual schedule. That is exciting. Airports and planes are the tools that helps this change happen, so they are also exciting.
Do you like the time you spend on transportation vehicles? Does the travel time mean anything to you? If so, what? Or are you one of those people who want the travel time to be as short as possible (and you would prefer to be beamed to places if it was possible)? Let’s talk about the time we spend on travel today.
Ooh that’s a good question. I have very mixed feelings about time spent travelling. Sometimes I enjoy sitting on a train or plane and reading a book or driving somewhere fun on a sunny day. Other times like when I’m stuck in traffic and trying to get somewhere for work or something I’d rather be beamed up. Not a very decisive answer I know. 😂
I think I don’t like daily time spent time on commute, either. But even then, if I am not driving, I can take the time for reflection. And I think I do that quite often when I am on a cab or something.
That’s a good point Betul. I also sometimes enjoy listening to an audio book while I’m driving.
Good! Maybe then, you can shift your focus from the traffic to some kind of self-reflection.
I like this take on travel. I’m a bit of a nervous flier so I tend to fill my time with anxiety and efforts to mitigate the anxiety. This sounds like a much more productive use of time. I’ll keep it in mind for my next flight.
I hope it is going to be helpful! You will have shifted your focus!
I honestly feel that travelling in a vehicle seems like a chore regardless of whether I’m travelling or going to work etc. That can change a little if I’m on a plane, but driving always feels kind of like a chore. I need a self-driving car lol!
I agree with that! I don’t drive, so travel means someone is taking me somewhere. So I can use that time. But I can see how it will be different when you drive.
Oh, well that’s cool. Yeah, if someone was driving me then I would definitely feel a bit more relaxed.
Self-driving cars would be awesome, though!
Right?
Yeap!
This is a helpful way to look at travel for those who dread it. Sometimes I wish I could blink and be somewhere. Actually it’s packing that stresses me. Once on the plane I’m all
Good to go. Thanks for the pro view.
Thanks for the comment! I am glad that you like the flight😊 I don’t particularly enjoy packing but I think I got used to doing it fast. So it does not take much time
Thanks for the follow by the way. I look forward to reading more of your work.
I totally agree. I even wrote a similar post recently. I don’t mind arriving early at the airports because I can start doing whatever it is I want to do – self-reflect, write, read, people-watch. When I’m at home, I always find something else that needs doing. Traveling long distance gives me a chance to escape that.
That sounds so familiar to me! I also tend to go to airports early just for that reason!
I totally get what you’re saying here. Like you, I really enjoy airports. (I once wrote a piece in which I referred to airports as “portals.”) Airports are threshold places. One enters them to leave one way of being and to move to another. The airplane trip itself is magical. When one enters the plane, one is, for example, in America, and then as soon as the plane lands and one exits it, the traveler is in an entirely different part of the world. The look of people has changed. The local language is different. This is both jarring and refreshing. I miss traveling as I don’t do as near as much as I used to. I think I’ve been over the Atlantic Ocean somewhere near 35 or 40 times.
You are a pro at traveling, from what I gathered based on your life experience. The way you described airports and planes is so on point! They are indeed magical.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE flying! And now o have young kids who treat it like a fairground ride too. I honestly get choked with excitement at takeoff Every. Single. Time.
So, even though I don’t like crowded places like expensive boring airports, I love the things because it means an airplane and an airplane means takeoff. Did I say I like trains too? 🤪
Though maybe not as enthusiastic as you, I am close up to your level in that:) I love both types of travel:)
Ah we should plot a trip then… just because! 😉
Let’s!