Five Things I Hate About Traveling

I would definitely consider myself someone who has caught the travel bug. If I had the money, I would spend every free minute of my time exploring new and wonderful places. Traveling is something I've always loved to do and will continue to enjoy for quite some time. But even the most seasoned traveler can have a short patience when it comes to some of the little details...so here are my five least favorite things about one of my favorite things.

1. Airports. I don't know if it's my recent "traumatic" experience with easyjet (two canceled flights, one for "personal reasons" the other for the volcano, both of which they did nothing about despite us being stranded in a foreign country and numerous late flights that severely messed up other plans. we got so upset with the traveling at one point we didn't go to berlin and came back a few days early. Long story, needless to say, I will never ever fly easyjet again. If I need a budget airline, I'll go Ryanair) or just the general stress and chaos that seems to surround people in airports, but I absolutely cannot stand them. That, and no matter how much I fly, I'm still a little afraid of it. Any of that dropping up and down kind of turbulence and I will be clutching the person's hand next to mine so hard they won't be able to feel their fingers.

2. Packing. When I was younger, I loved packing. I would start packing a week before going on even the smallest trips because, to me, it was a sign that something new and exciting was happening. But now it has just become a chore. You'd think with the amount I need to pack and unpack I would be good at it, but no. I either way way overpack and end up only wearing a third of the clothes I bring or try and "pack light" and end up forgetting some key piece, like tights in the middle of winter.

3. Weather. When you're at home, bad weather really isn't that big a deal. Despite the constant moanings of many people when it rains, it really isn't a big deal to me. I just don't get it, I mean you can basically do everything you normally do when the weather sucks? Unless you were planning on walking around lots or having a picnic...things that most people only do when they're, you know, only holiday? But I digress, the fact that enjoyment on holiday is so dependent on having good weather always bothers me. At home if I was planning a picnic one weekend and it rained for three days straight, I would just go to the movies and have a picnic the next weekend...but when you're away you don't have that luxury...and the weather can put a serious damper on the whole trip.

4. Not speaking the language. Until I traveled this summer, I actually can't recall ever being somewhere I didn't speak a single word of the language. Of course when I was younger I went places in Asia I couldn't speak the language, but I always had parents or friends to do interpreting and would always learn a few key phrases and words to get by on. But this summer, we went to five countries in the space of five weeks and the "key phrases" just didn't stick in my head. That and the fact that I left my Greece guide book at home didn't really help matters. Needless to say it led to some interesting situations, when my hand gestures just didn't quite cut it...and I always feel like such an idiot when I can't speak the language (although I know I shouldn't, since no one can be expected to speak them all). It is pretty cool though when two people start going through the languages they know in an attempt to find a lingua franca...which is how I ended up conversing with an Italian in French.

5. Er actually that's about it, I pretty much love everything else about traveling. I probably could find some other things to complain about but I feel like that list is sufficient as I don't want to put anyone off traveling!!