I was sprinting through the airport — sneakers in one hand, laptop in the other — when I thought, “You’re doing this wrong.”
Non-humble brag (wait, that’s just a brag): I’m normally a calm and prepared traveler who packs light and breezes through TSA. But during a trip to California earlier this month, I made a few bad moves and paid in exhaustion throughout my trip. Here, with three top tips to never follow, learn from my mistakes. Please.
Arrive to the airport minutes before takeoff
In the aforementioned airport sprint, I was flying from San Francisco to San Diego — a common hour-long trip. It was so routine, in fact, that I didn’t pay much attention to the departure time. Although the flight left at 9 a.m., I thought it left an hour later. As a drowsily and leisurely readied myself, I realized my mistake. Oops!
What followed was:
- riding passenger in a frenzied drive to the airport (Thanks, Stephanie!)
- waiting in the security check
- realizing that I would need to go back downstairs and print my boarding pass
T-18 minutes to takeoff… - running back upstairs
- asking to cut strangers in line
- rushing to the gate
I heard an announcement over the loudspeakers — “Last call for the 9 a.m. flight to San Diego, passenger Alicia Castro” — and I knew I never wanted to hear my name in that context again.
Next time, I’m arriving early to the airport, grabbing some snacks, and laughing at the other people running with their shoes in hand. Just kidding — I WOULD NEVER LAUGH.
Plan the entire trip to the last detail
The reason, perhaps, that I forgot my flight time was because I hadn’t left a single moment for downtime. I felt frazzled. Because I was visiting family and friends, I felt determined to fit in time with everyone I love. I went from a wedding to a family reunion to back-to-back meals with different friends to another wedding. Amidst it all, I was working remotely and picking up the items I can’t buy in Buenos Aires.
As someone who really values my alone time, the nonstop activity left me feeling super low on energy by the end.
Next time, I’m scheduling in yoga. Or better yet, I’m not scheduling much at all.
Be unprepared for the unexpected
With a jam-packed schedule, I left no emotional space for the jarring life events that seem to happen when we are, indeed, least prepared. During the trip, my grandmother Alice passed away.
By the grace of time, my brothers and I were able to visit her first. We crouched around the armchair where she rested and held her hands and shared memories with each other. Remember that trip to Mexico, when our family filled half the plane? Remember sleepovers at Nana’s house, when we ate ice cream in front of the TV and stayed up late giggling?
In preparation for a slideshow at her memorial service, I spent hours looking through her pictures. There were photos of her on planes and beaches and city sidewalks. In front of the house where she lived for more than 60 years. With her friends and children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
My grandmother Alice balanced adventure and family — going off on trips but always coming home. My dad told me that when he was a kid, she and my grandfather took a three week vacation to Europe and left their four children with relatives. SMART. After the kids had grown, she was single for more than 40 years. She spent those years globetrotting solo, visiting family and hosting us at her home every Christmas. She married again at age 80, and she and her husband continued to travel the world together.
In that final week of my trip, my family gathered to celebrate and honor her life. I will always remember her as gracious, maternal and full of moxie.
The time home — that exhausting and overwhelming trip — will be marked by her loss. But it’ll also be marked by seeing my cousins for the first time in a decade, grown and vibrant. It’ll be marked by witnessing my best friend marry her long-time partner and then camping out on the coast. It’ll be marked by playing with my nieces and nephews, the tiny next generation in our family.
Those three weeks reminded me of a few travel essentials. Set an alarm clock. Leave some downtime. And always always always value the people who surround you.
