Arcosanti, Arizona – by © Brandon Elijah Scott / Eye & Pen.
If there were to be only one thing that’s true for all travelers, no matter of the style of travel, be it backpacker or luxury, unexpected surprises will strike. It’s just how travel goes – it’s best to expect that SOMETHING will go horribly wrong, or you will become unceremoniously lost, or some sort of fee may pop up that you never thought to plan for. If one aspect of traveling is to be consistent – no matter the type, style, destination, or traveler’s homeland – it’s the fact that there will be something that won’t quite go as planned. The real question when traveling isn’t what will go wrong when? – but how will you handle it?
I’ve been traveling nonstop for nearly ten years entirely, and if one thing is true, it’s the fact that nothing will go exactly how you want it to, or even how you planned it – for all the planning in the world will not totally prepare you for everything a destination will throw at you. The trick is to run with whatever the issue or grievance is, when it hits you. Throwing a fit, breaking down, or taking out your frustrations on poor bystanders or (even worse) innocent locals is the absolute worst thing you can do – plus, it’s a sure fire way to assist in the ruining of your trip. I’ve learned long ago, that you have to maintain a good humor about it all – or else, the experience and the negativity will eat you alive.
I’ve had the worst of the worst happen to be while traveling – and if you’ve read the blog for some time, then you know already, but for those who’re less familiar: I was hiking in the El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico in the late summer of 2012, and when I returned, I came to find that everything I had with me was stolen in a smash and grab of my rental car. All of the cars in the block were vandalized and ransacked, and I was left with my first true adversity on the road, and while I handled it as well as I could, I was pissed off at myself, for not locking up my bags in the trunk or something – but to be honest, from the looks of the other cars, I don’t know if that would have done any good.
While there’s little room for recovery when everything you owned was stolen from you, and you’re only left with a mess of shattered glass in a country that’s native language is not your own, the true test of any longterm traveler is precisely how they handle a situation like that. There’s very little ‘troubleshooting’ that can be done in those circumstances, however, a full meltdown may hurt more than it helps – surely, I felt emotional, with a hint of rage for a moment, before my head snapped back into the game.
When the worst happens, breathe, and let things slow down, because when you take the time to process the situation, you allow yourself to gather your thoughts, control your emotions, and to plan your initial reaction. While it’s okay to react (but not overreact) with emotion sometimes, you don’t want to alienate anyone else in the meantime, especially a person who may control the fate of your trip – for example, like a booking representative of an airline or an accommodation. Because in travel, like most of the world, stereotypes and preconceived judgements are very much alive, and the moment you confirm a particularly more negative connotation, you’e already lost the battle. Remember, you’re as much a representative of your own country, as the people you meet abroad.
I’ve had the worst of the worst happen to be while traveling – and if you’ve read the blog for some time, then you know already, but for those who’re less familiar: I was hiking in the El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico in the late summer of 2012, and when I returned, I came to find that everything I had with me was stolen in a smash and grab of my rental car. All of the cars in the block were vandalized and ransacked, and I was left with my first true adversity on the road, and while I handled it as well as I could, I was pissed off at myself, for not locking up my bags in the trunk or something – but to be honest, from the looks of the other cars, I don’t know if that would have done any good.
While there’s little room for recovery when everything you owned was stolen from you, and you’re only left with a mess of shattered glass in a country that’s native language is not your own, the true test of any longterm traveler is precisely how they handle a situation like that. There’s very little ‘troubleshooting’ that can be done in those circumstances, however, a full meltdown may hurt more than it helps – surely, I felt emotional, with a hint of rage for a moment, before my head snapped back into the game.
When the worst happens, breathe, and let things slow down, because when you take the time to process the situation, you allow yourself to gather your thoughts, control your emotions, and to plan your initial reaction. While it’s okay to react (but not overreact) with emotion sometimes, you don’t want to alienate anyone else in the meantime, especially a person who may control the fate of your trip – for example, like a booking representative of an airline or an accommodation. Because in travel, like most of the world, stereotypes and preconceived judgements are very much alive, and the moment you confirm a particularly more negative connotation, you’e already lost the battle. Remember, you’re as much a representative of your own country, as the people you meet abroad.
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