D is for Departure

I have a love-hate relationship with departures. However, I would love to discuss the part I love the most. My departure starts off with a long time tradition of a cold Peroni. This was started on my very first major tennis trip to Fiji with Leon and the boys. Once my thirst has been quenched, then it is off to the departure lounge area.

While waiting for my flight I will prepare and organise myself for the flight. The checklist is;

• Both sets of headphones
• Neck pillow on
• Passport hanging from my neck
• Boarding Ticket
• Pen
• Jumper on
• Snacks in jumper
• Battery packs
• Phone
• Phone cords
• Waterbottle

Once I have got myself organised, I can sit back and relax while waiting for the boarding call to be announced. I find by doing this routine, it allows me to get settled into my seat on the plane quicker and not hold everybody up. It is basically finding my seat, put my carry on luggage into the overhead compartment, sit in my seat, unpack things into the front pocket, buckle up and ready to go.

I have often observed people on the plane get stressed out becoming stressed out because they realise they are holding people up or people are holding them up. For me, it is about starting the journey and adventure in a positive, more enjoyable and less stressful way.

On my last trip, when returning home to Australia, I witnessed a man on board the being held up from finding his seat by other passengers as they were organising their own seating arrangements. You could literally see this mans demeanour change while waiting. By the time, he reached and located his seat, all his pent up frustration started spilling out as he started to complain about anything and everything, from how long it took to get on the plane due to people holding him up to his seat location. Funnily enough, as he was ranting and raving about all these things he was holding up the other passengers. This went on for what seemed like 10 minutes.

It was highly noticeable that his behaviour and attitude was starting to annoy the other passengers around him. To me, all his rants and raves seemed misplaced. Everything, he complained about was completely in his control to do something about. He could have paid the extra money so he changes the location of his seat (it was a budget airline) and he could have been a little patient and realising that the flight was not going to take off with him, not in his seat. Just being a little more prepared would have made a difference.

So, rather than let this one person’s poor choices affect my holiday time, I took my opportunity to create a positive relaxing memory for me. My solution…… I put on my noise-cancelling headphones, closed my eyes and listened to my calming in-flight music as I slipped peacefully into a world of my own.

The moral of this story is being prepared reduces your stress and don’t let others affect your journey and adventures. You have used your well-earnt money to go on your adventure, so why waste the opportunity of creating a positive memory that you will remember for the rest of your life instead of a negative one. Enjoy every moment on your journey and adventure, life is too short not too.