Writing Life: Improving the "'ING"' of Travel

by Brooke Cunningham

I love travel. I am a travel writer, after all. It is the "'ING"' part that gets to me. The packING at home, gettING out the door, movING luggage around, waitING at the airports that is so annoyING!

One would think that after 14 years of travel writing, I would be accustomed to the last minute pressure of arranging for my daughter, my dog, my house and my fish. But no, there has never been a trip where I didn't storm around the house the day before, growling, "'It's just not worth it!"' I live in rural Vermont, so I frequently take the 6:05 a.m. flight to the nearest hub, which means a 3:00 a.m. departure from the house. As I am going to bed unusually early, absolutely certain that I have forgotten at least one critical element that will bring arrangements at home and all traveling plans to a grinding halt while I am away, I go through a customary litany of reasons that I could give the people waiting for me at the other end of the line for why I did not get on the plane.

But this time I had a particularly complicated traveling agenda. I would travel all day on two small carriers to Winnipeg, overnight there and then board a smaller plane for a two-hour trip north to Wollaston Lake, a fly fishing camp in northern Saskatchewan. That doesn't seem too difficult until you consider needing a week's worth of clothing that ranges from shorts to down parkas for a location with temperatures that range each day from 30 to 80 degrees and back, and it all has to fit under smaller than average seats and overhead bins. Looking over my pile of luggage choices, it was clear that nothing I had would do.

I go through this 10-12 times each year, while assuming that the airlines provide job security for the luggage manufacturers by their baggage handling. It should be said that through all the previous years I had always gone to TJ Maxx and bought something cheap that would do the job, without a thought to such details as weight, construction, wheels or usable spaces. I just went for something I could manage by myself in a color I didn't hate.

I must be getting smarter in my old age because this time, for the first time, I asked for help. It was probably panic that prompted me, but I picked up the phone and talked to an experienced travel ware person named Lynn at Magellan. We discussed the particulars of the trip, and how the last plane I flew on was so small that perhaps we should have used my down parka on the outside of the plane to stay warm while venturing so far north that summer days lasted for less than six hours over 10 weeks, and winter nights were year round.

Several days after my conversation with Lynn, my luggage arrived. I have always known that Santa wore brown and drove a brown UPS truck off season, and I could hardly wait to rip into the boxes and play with my new toys. Matching luggage, Oh my God! I was so pleased that I sent Lynn a gift saying that she had made me feel like a real grown up, and this fresh Vermont maple syrup would make her feel like a kid.

But the real magic started on the day I was grumbling around the house looking at the enormous mound of clothing intended to handle the climate changes on this trip. I segued into putting together a "'jump kit"' as my father calls the toiletries side of packing. I loaded the new highly organized travel bag and what a world of difference! Things had places, stayed there and everything fit into a bag with a real shape that fit neatly into the new luggage. And there was a smaller clear bag to carry on, with three-ounce sized containers to hold one day's supplies so that I could move effortlessly through check-in, and even if my luggage went to Wisconsin rather than Winnipeg, I was all set.

Eventually the small voice repeating the aforementioned litany kept me company up stairs to that mountain of stuff that had to fit into itty bitty planes tomorrow. I confess to a small murmur of "maybe this will be OK…" resulting from the toiletries experience. Sure enough, the compression bags made large piles small, and just the right shape for the luggage. The mesh packing envelopes kept "'smalls"' together and organized for rummaging baggage searches. The jump kit fit neatly into place. My check-on bag was heavy but small, rolled beautifully and stayed standing when I parked it. The shoulder bag Lynn suggested slipped neatly over the handle of the rolling overnight carry-on was large enough to hold my purse with a passport pocket on the outside, and offered easy access to all contents. This was a very good start, and check-in was a breeze.

I would spend several hours waitING between flights, and it had been suggested that I visit a Web site and to obtain a card that would allow me to use the VIP lounges that airlines maintain all over the globe. Turns out there are more than 500 of these airport lounges world wide that are accessible no matter which class you are flying. Many offer office spaces with online computers or wireless, quiet lounges with food and cocktails, and televisions that a visitor can actually change the channel on! Very civilized. I spent two comfortable hours in one VIP lounge during a layover, but there were people whose flights had been cancelled who were ecstatic to be there.

Now, how about stayING healthy in airports while moving through thousands of often coughING and sneezING people, then sharING the contained and re-circulated air with them on the planes. Many people catch unfamiliar bugs travelING in these environments, but Lynn suggested a few items with this in mind because I was headed to a place where the nearest telephone pole was 600 miles away and falling ill would be a real pain.

First, the tiny ion air purifier that I wore around my neck, claiming to destroy 99 percent of the germs a few inches in front of my nose for the whole day. There's the small packets of antibacterial wipes to use instead of hand washing in the bathrooms. Next, a wonderful little bundle that unfolded into a fleece blanket for the plane. (I have always wondered when, if ever, the airlines clean their blankets.) There were packets of facial moisturizer, deodorant and stain remover for clothing that made the day more comfortable. I didn't suffer any contagions on the trip, and maybe I wouldn't have anyway, but who knows? It was so easy that there was no reason to take chances. I arrived in northern Saskatchewan with all my luggage intact and my belongings in place. I felt healthy, un-frazzled and ready to go fishing. The new me is much better prepared for these travelING rigors thanks to Lynn and all the people who take the time to figure out how to improve the ING of travel.

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Brooke Cunningham has written for Hemispheres, the Robb Report, Yachting Matters, Mega, Yachts, Brides Guide, Travellady.com and East West News Bureau.