A traveling ma'am
Today I’m taking a break from talking about the things I do, and what I create. Recently I had reason to travel to and around Texas. It’s always interesting to observe the differences in airports and the travelers going through them.
I’ve been through a variety of airports in my time. I currently depart from a small airport where you can only go through security just before boarding the aircraft. This airport has one airline, and aircraft that have two seats on either side of a central aisle.
Some of the larger airports I travel through have many amenities, including hydration stations. I like those because I can fill my empty water bottle after going through security. Those larger airports also have a variety of airlines, and much larger aircraft. In one of these airports I saw some Japanese soldiers going to an assignment. I’ve seen German soldiers there in the past.
Then I must talk about how people travel through airports and onto aircraft. In the middle of summer it is interesting to see who wears shorts, and who wears long pants, including jeans. Some people wore T shirts, some were wearing long sleeves, and some were dressed in suits.
Footwear is always an issue for me. I have my Birkenstock sandals that I wear around town in the summer. It is interesting to see people wear flip flops when traveling. I have a friend that wore flip flops one time while traveling, and she managed to break a toe. Long before that I decided I would travel wearing shoes. I’m enough of a klutz that I’m sure I would stumble over something while traveling and hurt myself if I were wearing sandals.
Totes, bags, purses, suitcases are interesting for me to observe. Carry on space is limited, no matter how large or small the aircraft. When I leave town I am able to put my backpack under the seat in front of me, but anything else has to be gate-checked or checked to my destination. The lack of space in aircraft, and the needs of the kinds of trips I make enforce certain luggage choices.
Other people, when traveling, do not have the exact circumstances in which I travel. As mentioned, I have a backpack. A personal item for other people could be just a small purse, or a larger tote, up to a backpack. It was interesting to me that while most people choose a store-bought item, some people have a handmade carry-on.
Finally we come to the larger carry on item. I saw some unusual larger items, including an older fashioned suit bag, a guitar, and framed art work. Wheeled cases come in two basic varieties, spinner or two wheeled. Naturally, two wheeled bags are towed on their two wheels. It was interesting to see that while some people impelled their spinner bags on all four wheels, many others leaned them onto the back two wheels and pulled them. What is my solution for a wheeled bag? Only two wheels. I have found that spinner wheels do fine when towed on smooth, hard surfaces, but they fail miserably on thick carpet or uneven ground. Maybe it’s just the way I pull at them, but that’s my opinion.
How do you equip yourself when traveling?
