A Few Words About Travel

 There is a reason I named this Blog "Every Day is An Adventure".

I try my best to stay positive and downplay negatives. 
I know this sound easy, but sometimes this can save your entire trip. Really.
It's easy to becomes excited over the next "big" adventure when your sitting on your own comfy couch, pouring over glossy travel magazines, but after a 12+hour flight, missing luggage, screaming children, horrible weather and lost reservations it can take the patience of a Buddha to just laugh it off.  International travel is an adventure. Period end of sentence. It's not like home, its doesn't smell like home, people don't behave like at home, nor speak like at home and its going to be stressful at times. If this terrifies you, then stay at home.

What do I do and how do I do it? Are the 2 most asked questions, over and over.. Mostly I laugh stuff off and try to not take myself so seriously.   I also remind myself that I am representing my Home Land. Believe it or not, but some people have never met an America. *Gasp* Much less a Texan. I've heard everything from "Don't let them know you are an American. They ALL HATE US!" to "Why don't you have an oil well if your from Texas?"    * ___  *

So even as I enjoy the culture shock I remind myself that a whole nation will be judged on how I act in the Airport, the cafe, on a bus or faced with a strange and smelly toilet. The term "Pushy Americans" & "Loud Americans" started from something, after all. Remember you have no control over other people or events (or toilets.)  You do have control over how YOU respond. Plus no matter how terrible, scary or strange some thing is, it will make a GREAT story when you return home!

So get off the couch and start on that Great Adventure and I will see you at the airport!