What’s your travel footprint?

What’s your travel footprint?

A travel footprint is an impact you make in your travels. As a flight attendant, I got to see the best of people and the worst.  With the recent uptick in travel, many travelers seem to be leaving footprints less than desirable.  Here are a few ways that you may unknowingly leave a negative travel footprint behind.

The Covid virus exemplifies how much of a footprint we leave behind unknowingly.  We are urged to wash and sanitize our hands often. It’s one of the first things I do when I leave a public space, and especially when I board an airplane.  Airplanes can fly an average of four roundtrip flights per day. There is no way for a traveler to tell who has been sitting in the seat before them. Leaving your seat area in total disarray is not a footprint you want to leave behind. Try to hand off your trash to a flight attendant. Do not leave trash stuffed into your seatback pocket or lying around on the floor.

Similarly, when you go to a hotel.  Know that someone must clean behind you.  There have been so many times when I have passed an open hotel room door and been amazed at how the guests have left the room. Leaving such a footprint is partly the reason why hotels have a check-in time afternoon or later.  It takes a lot to clean a hotel room after it’s been trashed, and the people who are waiting for that room want it to be as spotless as they expect.

When vacationing, travelers expect to be catered to and treated well.  Try to leave a positive footprint with the people who serve you.  Say please and thank you to staff.  Acknowledge others around you and how your actions and behavior affect them.  Be kind to the wait staff and be gratuitous when possible. Having been in the service industry for many years, I know how much an appreciative and considerate customer can impact someone’s day.

Travelers should always respect personal space.  Taking your shoes off and resting your feet in someone else’s space is just rude.  Be courteous and keep your feet in your space. Most travelers know it’s difficult for small children and toddlers to be still in a confined space. However, allowing children to kick the seat in front of them as entertainment is disrespectful.   Giving toddlers food to play with and not cleaning up after them is also ill-mannered.

We all expect an airplane to take us to our destination, and it usually does.  However, all travelers must consider that there may be extended delays where you spend much more time with your seatmate than anticipated.  Some delays will have passengers together for quite a lengthy time, and if your footprint is less than favorable, this can be a very uncomfortable time. In worst-case scenarios of turbulence or unplanned landings, sometimes your fellow passengers become an essential connection.  Try to leave favorable first impressions.

Have you thought about the travel footprint you leave behind? I’d like to know.

Hawaii as a vacation spot.

Hawaii as a vacation spot.

For many, Hawaii is a bucket list vacation spot. However, Hawaii is more than one island. Maui, Oahu, Lanai, Kauai, and the island of Hawaii are a few popular Hawaii destinations. Each island has its personality and interesting sights. When considering Hawaii as a vacation spot, consider which island would be best for the activities you plan to do. Here are a few ideas you should know about Hawaii before you go to Hawaii.

The island of Maui is a popular spot for visitors.  It’s famous for its beaches.  In the winter months, tourists can often see humpback whales.  Travelers can surf, windsurf, snorkel, or lay on the beach.  Oahu is where the more popular destination of Honolulu is found.  Here you can find bustling city life as well as laid-back surf towns. When choosing this island, there are many options of activities to choose from.  Lanai is one of the smallest islands in Hawaii. It is also more known for its luxurious resorts and world-class golf resorts.  It is also great for 4-wheel driving on its rugged back roads and remote locations.  On the island of Kauai, you will find tropical rainforests, rivers, and waterfalls.  You will see sharp mountain spires and jagged cliffs. Here you can find many outdoor activities like kayaking, hiking, fishing, and ziplining. The island of Hawaii is best known as the Big Island.  Here you can find many different climates, from tropical to cooler temperatures. You can experience snow in Maunakea, lush valleys in Hilo, or jet-black sand beaches.

For those interested in visiting Hawaii, there are many choices.  Although the weather is warm all year round, higher elevations will require a jacket.  All beaches in Hawaii are public, but it can be a bit expensive to dine out. It is also important to understand the many Covid restrictions that tourists may experience when visiting the island. As always, research and know before you go.

Have you visited Hawaii before? There is so much information I could add. What would you like to know more about Hawaii? I’d like to know.

Summer travel behind the scenes.

Summer travel behind the scenes.

Being an avid traveler means you raise avid travelers.  I went to pick up my daughter from one of her summer trips recently and was amazed at the number of travelers at the airport.  Being in the field of travel, I was aware of the increase in travel recently.  However, I was not prepared for the actual realities. Many of my friends who are still in the flying business have been discussing the many travel issues they have seen this summer.  Here are a few ideas that have been shared by my friends who are in the business of flying.

Firstly, if you are flying anywhere this month on any airline, pack snacks and PB&Js. Carry a refillable water container, a portable charger for your phone, a deck of cards, or UNO.  Download extra movies on your iPad or kindle.  Whether you have wireless headsets, also bring the old-school plug-in type.  Carry a light blanket. Go to the airport one extra hour earlier than you would have. Bring your patience and a mask. If you must travel with kids, go to Dollar Store or Walmart, and buy new toys your kids have never seen, give them these during the inevitable delays. You can also purchase blow-up arm floaties to use a pillow or lumbar support for your back.  A small portable fan or paper fan will help, especially during these hot summer months. Finally, pack a tennis ball to help massage your aches.

Airlines no longer supply pillows or blankets.  Since Covid, there is usually no food onboard to buy or give, and there are not enough beverages for flight attendants to serve second requests for drinks.  Fill your water bottle in the airport or buy a bottle of water or drink in the airport. There is not enough bottled water on board for flight attendants to refill your container, nor are they allowed to fill it for sanitary reasons.

If you are booked on the last flight of the day, be prepared that you might end up spending the night in the airport.  Do not check your medicine or keys in your luggage.  Carry a Pen!! You may have to fill out forms or need to write down information.

I was an international flight attendant for over 23 years, and I have NEVER seen it this crazy! Every airline is short-staffed, gate agents are working alone at gates for oversold flights, the wait times to get through to reservations are 3+ hours. Restaurants and stores can’t get people to work. Super long lines everywhere. LOTS of mechanical issues, weather, staffing issues, none of which is due to frontline airline employees. They are as frustrated as you are. They are EXHAUSTED! These travel realities have been happening to them every day for over a month, with no relief in sight.

Therefore, I am asking you to BE VERY KIND TO EVERYONE, especially your flight crew. It’s always appreciated. Always bring treats, whatever they may be, to the agents and flight attendants. They’re human also and live this travel nightmare every day, not just once a year.

Have you traveled lately? I hope these realities have opened your mind and that you be kind and travel well this summer.  Let me know.

Women travel groups.

Women travel groups.

Women make up a significant amount of the travel space.  They are also the ones who make most of the travel decisions.  In recent years, however, there seems to be a trend of women taking a break from life to travel, not with their families, but with other women.  These trips are often seen as retreats and an aspect of self-care.  I recently made a group trip with a group of women and felt the benefits wholeheartedly. Here are a few ideas on women’s group travel.

One of the most significant benefits of women’s group travel is that it allows women to feel safe traveling. With women group travel, there is a built-in network of women you know and trust. Traveling with other women provides a supportive space.  In addition, sharing the experience with other women helps to create a bond and a feeling of less vulnerability.

You are most likely to be traveling with other like-minded women.  Even though the group may have different personalities or backgrounds, the experiences gained far outweigh the possible drawbacks. Traveling in a group improves your self-awareness.  With group travel, you can be motivated by other women and feel validated by the other women travelers.

For women, travel has become another form of self-care.  Travel tends to lead to more open minds, and it pushes the travelers’ boundaries.  Traveling with other women seeking similar experiences leads to a sense of camaraderie that positively affects the traveler.  When traveling, it is often difficult for our minds to be consumed by the future as the present circumstances demand our attention.  Therefore travel, like meditation, has a soothing effect on women.

Although the women group travel is often done to escape, traveling in a group can lead to a better appreciation of the things and people left back at home. Even though it takes you away from home, traveling is a way to center yourself and re-establish your base.  When women choose themselves, the effect tends to have a ripple effect on their families and lives.

Traveling, in general, can be inspirational and spark creativity.  Being able to interact with other women and share similar experiences can be eye-opening. Any unexpected changes and uncertainty of relationships during travel can help to improve personal relationships overall.

Have you taken or encouraged a women group travel experience? How was it? I’d like to know.

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