Ticket to Embark: Planning for a long but quick trip

A Ticket to Ride: Some Flights are a Hard Days Night

Any opportunity to travel is a good opportunity, I feel, with perhaps the exception of funerals. Death can overshadow any excitement you may feel, at least until you are with your friends and family. In this case, fortunately, it is for business purposes and that is a positive. But the turnaround for a transpacific journey can be harrowing at the least, man. In fact, that may be an understatement. Crossing the Pacific, at least for myself, is a soul-draining endeavor akin to being 7 feet tall, sitting in traffic in the back seat of a Mazda Miata for 11+ hours depending on the flight, and in between breaks having to play the X games, climbing over people on planes to get in and out of your seat, only to be accosted at every opportunity with more lines, inspections, scans, tickets, forms, and overpriced everything. The actual flying-part of travel is the most painful. The seats have gotten smaller, security tighter, tickets more expensive, and everyone generally more exhausted. If only I could go back to the days when you didn't have to crawl over some stranger's lap because the seats have been downsized to the point of impracticality because working people don't matter. But I digress. That decompression felt good so let me get off my soapbox and move on.

Tickets: Weigh the Pros and Cons

When looking for my tickets I was keyed into one thing primarily after expense, and that was flight time. These days be prepared to be upsold continuously on things that often don't matter. Like picking your seat. Back in the day you'd get a ticket and find out your seat number, then the option came up to choose and it was free. Nice little perk. Now like everything else it costs. Don't feel like you're losing anything; unless you specifically need a seat, just take it and save your Sesterces on something that actually feels like value. Seat choice offers little unless you can go sit in the front row and watch the commoners pass, lol.

Now, I do often spring for insurance for international flights simply because you never know what can happen. It's a smallish fee but could be the difference in missing a day's work if your flight is delayed and, God forbid, a bag is lost. Don't need it but man it's nice to have. I lost a bag once many years ago and had no insurance. When I got it back it had been crushed so all my toiletries and such were ruined and everything was just about ruined anyway. We live and we learn.

Now, for tickets, guys, I know sometimes it's nice to get exactly where you want to be, but if you search surrounding cities and book separate connecting flights you can save yourself a bit of cash and a lot of headaches. It may take time though, so you really have to ask yourself, how much is the convenience worth right now? Weigh the options carefully and leave some buffer room, man, because it's pretty important to make sure you have time to make that flight. I like a 2-hour gap and a connection flight that costs less than the insurance for my primary flight being delayed. Also, if you have to absolutely be somewhere, don't take risks, man. Just eat the cost and be safe; this tip assumes you have some flexibility. For example, I chose San Francisco this time and just typed in flights to Japan. In this particular case, Osaka happens to be cheaper compared to Tokyo for example (unusual); it may be the random dates I have in there. I'd recommend buying at a minimum 30 days out, but that's just me.

Packing Smart

Alright guys, I always bring a carry-on (it's an AI photo but I loved the giant suitcase car pic I found up top) and a personal bag and rarely ever check bags. The reasoning is simple: I have places to go and am out to see and do things. I always feel for people I see lugging gigantic suitcases as if they needed to bring everything they owned on a 2-week vacation. Trust me, unless you're carrying business samples or belong to a band or production team, odds are you don't need it.

If your paramour feels they need 7 pairs of shoes and a hairdryer, remember most hotels have a hair dryer and you need three pairs of shoes max, one worn. The worn shoes closed toe, I prefer something that can easily be dress casual for a decent dinner, good hike, can visit religious sites (sometimes no open toe) and a pair of sandals for beaches or public showers (protect them doggos). If your traveling companion is a woman or just has a flair for heels, that's an appropriate 3rd pair. Remember, black goes with everything, y'all—keep it simple. I have had the same beat-up leather slides forever. I'm of the mind of buy it once and take care of it, and never think about it again vs. replacing something over and over again. My slides will strap right to the side of my bag. Now the bag.

Seriously the bag...

The bag is really the lynchpin of it all. You need to be very very very very (have I put enough emphasis?) particular and considerate of the bag. It needs to be strong, comfortable, convenient, small enough to stow, and as inconspicuous as possible. A giant expensive-looking heavily branded bag may score cool points somewhere but off the beaten path and in many countries it says "I may have expensive items inside too." Not saying anything more than don't look like a target, focus on function. I have been traveling with a Mystery Ranch Scree 32. I don't know anyone over at the company, bought it myself and it works. I had a 40L bag for years and when it hit the end of its life I had to let it go. This one (see happy snap above) has lasted me 2 years so far and still looks new(ish). 5 countries and counting.

The Little Things

Now after that it's the little things. Well, aside from the camera of course, but that's personal and depending on what you're doing can change easily. I do bring a few extra key items that may seem odd but I find are always useful. The first, a watch. You may or may not be a daily watch wearer but I am, and I've learned the smart watch for all of its convenience can't beat a regular watch when it comes to just working and not needing to be charged. I prefer to wear a regular watch, i.e., wristwatch.

Second, a light cotton scarf or Shemag. I know, I know. Cheesy but practical. Need a towel? A little chilly? Sun on your neck? Light blanket or covering from an over-efficient A/C unit? Need a quick makeshift bag to store things? Need to tie something off real quick to your bag? You'll find a use, it takes no space, and it gives you a chance to let your personality shine. Get one, you won't regret it, I'm still using the 3-dollar silk scarf I got in Cambodia (see pics in travel under Cambodia). Thing rocks, man.

The rest I'll just lay out to be viewed here below. Don't judge the happy snap of my boots lol, focus instead on the highly cropped in portrait I took. I don't know, I haven't photographed any watches recently and the happy snap was worse. I'm working through some things lol.　Either way in a nutshell I try to make the process as painless as possible. Between Airport Security and the airlines it`s already a hassle, just enough planning can smooth things out to where flying can almost be enjoyable again.