Departure day finally arrived! I woke up this morning with a weird anxiety-excitement buzz, vibrating with energy in spite of the very short four hours of sleep I managed to get. I was anxious about leaving my family, but the anticipation has been building for this new adventure to start. I had a wonderful send off from my entire family, with lots of hugs and love and only a few tears on my part (don’t we look cute? The security guard was very confused on how to work an iPhone, but we finally got a good picture!). I am not a particular fan of flying, so I’ve been spending my days researching how to become a better traveler and at least relax, if not enjoy, flights. With one flight down (a short trip from Dallas to Austin), and my British Airways nine-hour flight to London looming in the next three hours, I’ve discovered some of the research I did was useless, some of it was on point, and that a large part of becoming a happy traveler is knowing yourself and learning what you need. So, what I have learned so far:
1. Neck pillows are the best. I personally prefer my hot pink and fluffy one, but I’m sure any neck pillow on a flight will feel great.
2. Have something to look forward to. My lovely friends Danielle and Rachel each prepared letters and a cool little packet full of fun things for me to peruse on the plane or when I felt overwhelmed. This was a great distraction after I left my family at security and was sitting alone at my gate, and when I first got on the plane.
3. Humor is key. Being the average (okay, maybe above-average) over-packer, I ended up with a 35lb duffel bag, and 20lb “purse” to carry on to the plane. Trekking from one side of the airport to the other, squeezing through the tiny airplane rows, and hauling your stuff with you to go anywhere is not fun, especially on little sleep and during a full day. But I have to laugh at myself! Of course, in my quest to make my day of airporting less stressful, I overpacked my carry-ons and ended up making it more difficult. But who cares! I’m learning. I’ll get there. Besides, I’m counting my airport walking as an intense workout; it’s harder than walking with a weighted vest!
4. Essential oils are awesome. I was skeptical at first, that a little bit of oil could make a difference in my travels. But it does! It’s real! A dab of lavender to my temples and neck, and I was so relaxed I fell immediately asleep on the flight, and slept the entire way. Trying to wake back up when I landed? A dab of eucalyptus oil and I was as awake as the energizer bunny! (Maybe not that awake. But a normal amount of energy!).
5. It’s all about flexibility. My flight was delayed and I waited in the plane for an hour on the tarmac until we finally took off. Then, my connecting flight (which will ultimately land me in London), was delayed 2 hours, throwing off my transportation plans for my arrival. My initial reaction to this was frustration and worry that things weren’t going according to plan. Deep breaths, Lauren. But I took a step back, and you know what? It’s all okay. I’m still going to arrive in London to kick off an amazing new chapter of my life. God isn’t going to throw anything at me that I can’t handle. The plan may change, and maybe that’s a good thing. Start off as you mean to go on, right? Don’t be attached to a plan. Just let life unfold.
For a day of traveling, I’m feeling pretty enlightened. It could be the lack of sleep, or the anticipation of Europe, or maybe a combination of both, but regardless, traveling is a learning experience. I can’t wait to see what I learn next. Also, a farewell send-off is not complete without a selfie with your parents:
and, of course, a sparkly pink luggage tag so that I can find all of my luggage when I finally arrive. Lola was begging for an upgrade while admiring the glory of pink glitter:
xox,
Lauren
