Happy Travel for Adults

In my previous life of freedom, I LOVED to travel.  I was one of those rare people.  I liked the excitement and energy of airports and train stations.  I thrived on a change of scenery and trying new things.  I didn't worry about plane crashes or lost luggage.  I knew that I would be okay.  Besides, having to buy all new clothes at my destination didn't seem like such a bad thing.  

As the years go by, things have started to change.  I still love to travel.  But, I am noticing that I feel the discomforts that it brings a lot more then I used to.  This would be the perfect place to insert the blame on my children for my new travel woes.  Surprisingly, I will not.  I can't deny, that they have something to do with my new travel discomforts.  But, they aren't to blame.


In May, my husband and I took a childless trip to Hawaii.  I expected to arrive in Maui feeling renewed and ready to set out on an adventure.  Instead, I landed crabby, tired and unmotivated.  And then, to add another layer, I was disappointed that I was wasting precious time feeling that way.  It took me a good day to feel normal again.

In two weeks, our family will be flying a "red eye" across country.  As you can see, I have pretty much set myself up for a major travel failure.  It is surely masochistic plan. However, I am set on making it work.  So, my monkey brain is working overtime devising a plan.  Not just for my kids, but for John and I as well.


It will not be an elaborate plan, just one of common sense.  I figure most of my travel failures come from this:

Feeling tired before travel begins
Being dehydrated
Being uncomfortable on the plane
Being bored
Having too high expectations
Feeling tired on arrival

Next week, I will share what I plan to do to counter those discomforts.  What do you do to make travel less stressful and more enjoyable?