Trying to enjoy the traveling life
Mar. 9th, 2008 08:12 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
indigo_rose99This all sounds a lot better than it feels. Or, it makes a better story than it does an experience. You know how the best wedding stories come from the worst disasters?
Well, I'm sitting on my hotel balcony looking at the truly spectacular view. I found an outdoor chair cushion in one of the drawers, so it is even a relatively comfortable chair (for something tiny and metal and ornate). I'm wearing two shirts, my travel jacket, a scarf, earmuffs, fingerless gloves and long leather coat. My legs are a bit chilly, but otherwise it isn't too bad. I even went down to the hotel bar and bought a pint of cider. I know, shocking to be drinking at only about 1pm, but I figured if I get it in early, I am more likely to go to bed early. Besides, the bar was less full this way.
...And right as I typed that, it started to rain. *laugh* Welcome to Ireland. Back inside for me...
My point is, this sounds really nice. But it is a lot of trouble to spend a few minutes outside enjoying the view. And it isn't truly comfortable. I would trade it for my own couch in Texas. Yes, I do get a lot of interesting experiences. But most of them are not fun. They are just to be endured.
Like yesterday in the Limerick airport. The plan was for my flight to stop in Dublin (where I would get off) before continuing on to Chicago. This is a flight that I often take back to the US. And many of the people boarding my flight (and similar flights in the boarding area) were going on to the US. So from the moment I got in line to get my boarding pass, I was surrounded by Americans complaining and questioning. "The flight shouldn't be as long as it is. Perhaps we are stopping in Dublin?" I must have heard that one 10 times before I said anything to confirm. "But why do we have to stop in Dublin?! It isn't fair!" (whining) And several "Do I count myself as traveling with me? Should I put a 0 or 1 there?" for the immigrations form. And several "How do I fill out this stuff?" for the list of things that they were bringing back with them. I helped out a group of college kids who had evidently never seen the form before. And I directed them to the VAT tax refund place (badly placed signs, hard to blame them for not finding it themselves). "Why do we have to wait here?" referencing the signs that said clearly WAIT IN THE LOUNGE UNTIL YOUR PLANE HAS BEEN CALLED. "Why do we have to go through that line?" referencing the immigration lines that most flights to the US have to enter. "You have GOT to be kidding me!" to the announcement once we were on the plane that everyone would have to deplane in Dublin and the US-bound passengers would have to go through immigration.
Seriously, the US passengers were the biggest bunch of whiners. I mean, I have always thought similar things when waiting in the Limerick lounge, and really hated ending up on flights that stopped in Dublin (the wrong direction, for those geographically challenged) on the way to the US. But I didn't actually say them for the world to hear. No wonder other nations think we are rude.
Well, I'm sitting on my hotel balcony looking at the truly spectacular view. I found an outdoor chair cushion in one of the drawers, so it is even a relatively comfortable chair (for something tiny and metal and ornate). I'm wearing two shirts, my travel jacket, a scarf, earmuffs, fingerless gloves and long leather coat. My legs are a bit chilly, but otherwise it isn't too bad. I even went down to the hotel bar and bought a pint of cider. I know, shocking to be drinking at only about 1pm, but I figured if I get it in early, I am more likely to go to bed early. Besides, the bar was less full this way.
...And right as I typed that, it started to rain. *laugh* Welcome to Ireland. Back inside for me...
My point is, this sounds really nice. But it is a lot of trouble to spend a few minutes outside enjoying the view. And it isn't truly comfortable. I would trade it for my own couch in Texas. Yes, I do get a lot of interesting experiences. But most of them are not fun. They are just to be endured.
Like yesterday in the Limerick airport. The plan was for my flight to stop in Dublin (where I would get off) before continuing on to Chicago. This is a flight that I often take back to the US. And many of the people boarding my flight (and similar flights in the boarding area) were going on to the US. So from the moment I got in line to get my boarding pass, I was surrounded by Americans complaining and questioning. "The flight shouldn't be as long as it is. Perhaps we are stopping in Dublin?" I must have heard that one 10 times before I said anything to confirm. "But why do we have to stop in Dublin?! It isn't fair!" (whining) And several "Do I count myself as traveling with me? Should I put a 0 or 1 there?" for the immigrations form. And several "How do I fill out this stuff?" for the list of things that they were bringing back with them. I helped out a group of college kids who had evidently never seen the form before. And I directed them to the VAT tax refund place (badly placed signs, hard to blame them for not finding it themselves). "Why do we have to wait here?" referencing the signs that said clearly WAIT IN THE LOUNGE UNTIL YOUR PLANE HAS BEEN CALLED. "Why do we have to go through that line?" referencing the immigration lines that most flights to the US have to enter. "You have GOT to be kidding me!" to the announcement once we were on the plane that everyone would have to deplane in Dublin and the US-bound passengers would have to go through immigration.
Seriously, the US passengers were the biggest bunch of whiners. I mean, I have always thought similar things when waiting in the Limerick lounge, and really hated ending up on flights that stopped in Dublin (the wrong direction, for those geographically challenged) on the way to the US. But I didn't actually say them for the world to hear. No wonder other nations think we are rude.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-03-10 04:54 am (UTC)I'm glad to see you're acclimating to Ireland. :)
Though if, like they say, a drunk person's words are a sober person's thoughts, then maybe the drinking will just turn you into one of those whiny Americans.
Anyway, thanks for the stories. I appreciate your suffering to bring us back entertaining anecdotes.
no subject
Date: 2008-03-11 07:11 pm (UTC)Check back. More suffering endured.