The good part about being stuck in an airport when your flight is delayed is that you can catch up on the latest videos of people doing dumb stuff on YouTube. The bad part is that you are stuck in an airport. Right now the bad part is weighing in a bit heavier as I think we (my friend Daniel and I) have exhausted our interest in YouTube. But don’t worry, we’ve found some real gems during our 2 hour delay, including a video of probably the funniest/saddest hurdle track and field races ever.
Delays and bumps in the road are bound to happen while you are traveling, but that doesn’t make them suck any less. On my last trip we were faced with a possible flight cancellation, multiple busses that were way over maximum capacity (like a 45 person bus with 80 to 90 people!), rough boat rides that stopped part way through for hours for no apparent reasons, and, my favorite story of all, the 10-hour overnight bus ride from hell. Lets just put it this way, my friends who were on that bus ride still cringe when anyone brings it up…. Think no A/C plus sitting in the back of the bus by the bathroom with a bus full of people with absolutely NO SHAME.
So now, a few months later, here I am, setting off on a new adventure of 2+ months of missing busses, sharing seats with 4 people, and sweating profusely on (p)leather seats. Although I don’t love this part of travel, it is well worth it to see and do all the things that I am about to be able to do, so I can’t complain too much. It is kinda like a lottery winner complaining about how much taxes they have to pay…. Really dude? Shut up!
I’m excited to see what is in store for me, and hopefully my next post will be from a beach with a beer in hand.
Laurel
Ah yes, it’s not always glamorous is it, but I have to say the insane bus rides with hundreds of people crammed on and usually the odd chicken are what stick out in my mind when I think back on trips.
Matt
Yes, I do have to agree with this for the most part. Airports though, they suck…
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Migrationology
Me too Laurel, the odd situations and rough times (sometimes sucky times) are what keep things exciting and addicting to travel. The great thing is that frustrating situations all have unique twists, depending on which country you are in!
Jeremy B
Have fun with your travels! Did you happen to read the travel tuesday question of the week about resolutions for travel? 🙂 MANY people are frustrated with this aspect of travel. We definitely feel your pain here!
Matt
Nah, I’ve barely had internet connection since I’ve been here. So I haven’t been able to keep up with all the internet happenings going on out there…
Lilian
I have to admit I wait the waiting part…esp at airports..but for the sake of travelling, I can endure it. but probably not continuously. Which is why I am still travelling sporadically and not full time =)
Kieron
I absolutely hate airports… the only thing worse than a delayed flight is when you’re stuck there overnight!
But as you said, it’s part of the adventure and the wait is usually well worth it in the end! 🙂
eat-laugh-love-anon
Ahhh, the good old days of travel when you only had to deal with your own boredom while waiting. Enjoy it while you can because when you start to travel with kids it’s a whole new ballgame.
Next time you’re stuck waiting, why don’t you make some poor parents day and entertain their little monsters for a while? The karmic benefits will be enormous, trust me.
(This comment is only partly tongue-in-cheek. I took our 14-month-old to Vietnam for a whirlwind four day visit last weekend. No delays but MAN the flight and waiting was challenging.)
Matt
Lets just say I don’t envy you 🙂
inka
With hindsight, the bus rides, nearly capsizing boats and delays in weird airports are what you remember fondly. It may be a bit uncomfortable at the time, but you dine out on the story for ages. Ok, I’m much much older than you, but when I’m stuck, I read a book.
Matt
Yea, it might not always be a book, but I like to catch up on blog posts/news/etc when this kind of stuff happens.
robin
I hate airports these days even without delays. Used to take a childish pleasure in the whole thing. Not any more though I just want to be where I am going.
Kyle Morgan
Oh the joys of traveling! I was stranded in the Sahara once for 5 hours after a bus gave up and died, then went on an over capacity bus that was nice enough to pick us up until the Egyptian army caught us…then we were stranded at an army check point until an empty bus was able to come pick the group up!
Jozef Maxted
Haha yeah this is a good post. I’m can’t say im looking forward to some of the bus rides in Bolivia in Feb, the travel will defintiley be worth it once we arrive though.
Amy
I couldn’t agree more. Later this month I have to fly from Hanoi to San Francisco, arrive on Jan 23rd, then fly back to Bangkok on Jan 25th. I am so totally consumed with dread at the prospect of all that airport/flying time it almost makes me sick! Still, I’ll survive and I’m sure will feel much better when I’m laying on a beautiful Thai beach.
Priyank
Hi Matt, I don’t mind this actually. The transit and wait times are quite inefficient but when on vacation I’m cool with that, as long as I have a book to read or a diary to write.
Matt
I just get so tired of it. Sometimes it is ok, but if you are moving a lot it can really wear you down.
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