Travelling

A lot of people list on their CVs that they like travelling. I do too. And I really mean it. I don't particularly enjoy the actual "travelling" (that is, getting to and from a place), but I enjoy seeing new places, meeting new people, experiencing new and diverse cultures, etc. - it grows me as a person. So what is bad about travelling? I really don't like airports. And to those people who think business travel is glamorous - it isn't! Waiting for hours in cold airports is not my idea of fun. Unless of course you are waiting in a comfortable armchair in a business class lounge in a big airport, enjoying some nice snacks (or a full meal) and a glass of your favourite drink. Neither is being in a hotel on your own. Hotel dinners are not that good either, even if the hotel is supposed to be good! And if you think that airmiles / hotel points / etc are a nice benefit, well it takes ages to collect enough to give you a free night or a free flight. There is also the matter of fellow travellers. You get all sorts - I guess that's what makes us wonderfully diverse. You get the families with children (some really young, some teenagers). Myself included. They're not actually bad at all - they are self-conscious, try to keep things under control, and trying to move through as quickly and painlessly as possible. Then you get folks who go on holiday a couple of times a year, are not used to airports and their routines, and cause all sort of delays - "oh I didn't realise I had this perfume in my handbag"; "this [big bottle of body lotion] is very expensive, I want to take it with me, not check it in or leave it here" (the 100ml rules obviously are not obvious enough). And there is the faffing. I saw a movie a couple of years ago, the title escapes me, George Clooney had the lead role, and he was a frequent traveller. He gave some good points on how to travel painlessly and avoid the "faffers" - it was actually quite funny! And there's me. I used to travel light. Until I had baby G of course. Now my idea of travelling light is having a big suitcase (checked in), a rucsac (hand luggage), and G. Then if needed the pushchair. Then if needed the car seat. Any standard work I've tried so far hasn't worked. Apparently it gets easier as they grow. Really??? At least (touch wood) baby G is a really good traveller - usually no crying. So we travel about once a month - plane(s), hotels, restaurants, the whole lot. Her most recent "thing" on a plane is to walk up and down the aircraft aisle and stare at people. I find it amusing and good for guessing people's personality. It gets even funnier if she tries to touch them - either the knee, or the handbag, or the shoe. I do apologise of course and try to avoid it as much as possible, but G is getting really quick! And of course I have tried to get G her own airmiles card - not possible until she is 2, when she can join the junior club or something. Yes, I know, sad, but I might as well have some benefit!!! Restaurants are also an interesting experience - for a start, you try to find French restaurants with baby changing facilities, or even with high chairs - few and far between! So I sit G on a chair (she's only around 80 cm high, so you can imagine how cute that looks!), try to make her sit still and not throw all the food on the flow, and change her nappy with her standing on my changing mat on the toilet seat. And when we leave the restaurant, there's a war zone behind us - despite my efforts to clean up a bit. And G doesn't even make much of a fuss, she's just a normal toddler. Hotels are also interesting - they do have cots and high chairs, but space seems to somehow diminish! I used to be one of those travellers that some people probably hate. Able to fall asleep even before takeoff, travelling with 1 piece of luggage for a 1-week trip, having access to the lounge because of the air miles, etc. Oh and frowning whenever a child would start whinging. Now? Baby starts crying (not mine!), I think to myself: poor mother! And I also try to make sure that my immediate neighbours know it's not my child - I know, not nice, but why take the blame? Empathy is however sky high - really! I feel for the mothers (sorry guys, it usually is the mothers). So what next for travel? The longest flight with G was 4 hours, the longest journey about 9 hours door to door, so I'm considering long haul. Not yet, maybe next year, maybe later, but no doubt it will happen. The world is waiting to be explored...