Why can't travel days start later in the day? Why is it just past sunrise when I find myself in the kitchen, trying to stir my tea as quietly as possible, my crunching of granola seemingly the loudest sound in the world?! And in these accommodations where there is ALWAYS someone slamming the bathroom door, or coming in late at night, there is utter silence this morning. It is like taking that first breath of fresh air the minute we close the door behind us and head out onto the street!
Why does it always feel like we are rushing like mad to get everywhere, when in actually we have all the time in the world? We prepared for this! We get to Victoria with plenty of time, but then there is a Train at the platform, ready to leave, and the attendant rushes us to run so we can catch it, and of course one of the credit cards doesn't want to read, and then the conductor on the platform is whistling for us to run...the worst thing is that this was not even the train we had planned on taking this morning!
Why is it that no matter how prepared we are when it comes to passing through security, it always feels like we are severely holding up the line? I am standing in line, belt and watch in hand, bag open and ready to empty, locations of my laptop and liquids and boarding pass memorized for easy access. And yet, there is always that nagging for the guard, questions I have already answered with my movements, and then the point to bottle of disinfectant and "You need a plastic bag for your liquids", while I watch in horror as my liquids bag travels down the ramp ahead of me. Thankfully they seem to have all the patience in the world for this kind of thing, and so my little bottle is really a non-issue, but in the present moment feels like a nuclear bomb...
Why is it that no two check-ins work the same? In Montreal, we practically ran through boarding, and yet here, where everything has been incredibly relaxed thus far, gets halted once we arrive at our gate? We get stopped for our boarding passes and passports, and then the ArriveCan receipt, which we had intended on filling in on the plane like last time. But no, here we cannot access the gate until we have proof, and no we can't sit down at the gate to fill it in either. And then, when we think there is nothing more, we have to test out carry-on in the dreaded metal cage, to make sure they are regulation size - even though we did all this on our way here, and the luggage has definitely not grown two sizes too big in the past 7 days!
Why is it when the flight is only half-full and the flight attendant basically invites everyone to change seats to get more comfortable, the one person who is happy with their aisle seat is in our row? Not only that, she has fallen into a deep sleep, headphones in, and it takes quite some effort on Mario's part to shake her awake so he can go to the bathroom! Upon returning, he suggests she might be more comfortable in another row, where there is no one else, and 3 free seats all for her. I watch her contemplate, and for a moment, almost think that she is going to refuse, but she takes the bait, and we find ourselves with a lot more room to stretch out, as does most of the passengers. Later, I walk to the washroom and see many are stretched across 3 seats, sleeping the flight away.
Why is it the minute I am served a hot beverage, there is turbulence? Every. Time.
Why do we land 5 minutes before the end of my movie, and then taxi for 20 minutes, but the entertainment system is turned off? I think it would keep people patient, occupied, and in their seats longer.
Why does everyone jump up the minute the "seatbelt" sign turns off upon landing? It's not like they can go anywhere! The airplane doors are still closed!
Why do we all run like mad to disembark the plane and get to customs first, only to have to wait 30 minutes for our checked luggage to show up on the carrousel? Perhaps we should try to balance those two out more - or travel carry-on only , which proved to be a real game changer this time, except for having to leave a jar of red currant jelly behind. So tasty, too - makes me sad.
Why is that first shower after returning home always feel like the best one in the world?
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Thanks for coming along for the ride.
Until next time.
Enjoyed your posts !
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