Travel is meant to be fun and lighthearted, but unfortunately sometimes there can be serious hiccups along the way. Everyone has at least one story about something that happened to them while on the road. From missing flights to car accidents, these tales are often amusing in hindsight. Here, we take a look at how to navigate the road’s “oh no’s” with a few tips to help you find the humour in sticky situations, while travelling.
1. Letting the Laughing Begin: A Look at Travel Mishaps and Misadventures
Baggage Troubles
- From dropped suitcases and missing bags to losing important items, baggage troubles can turn a relaxing journey into a stressful one.
- Think that leaving the house early enough will prevent lost luggage? Think again! Protracted airport lines, long check-in queues, and other unforeseen delays can turn a truly organised individual into a victim of their flight and the fate of their baggage.
- It’s possible to try and be as prepared as possible when it comes to travelling, but some airport troubles simply can’t be avoided. Despite being able to check-in online and have a boarding pass to hand, it’s not always enough to guarantee a smooth journey.
The Flight
- Flights can range from relatively smooth and uneventful, to completely overwhelming and sleepless overnight journeys. Late flights, cancelled flights, unruly passengers, bad weather, and long queues can cause delays and create an uncomfortable experience for travellers.
- Sticking to strict departure times while travelling can be tough in the face of unexpected and unavoidable travel nightmare situations. It’s good practice to always book in advance and factor in extra time for delays, just in case something essential goes wrong.
- Flight luggage restrictions can also result in extra stress when travelling. Pack as light as possible to avoid the prospect of having to re-arrange or re-allocate luggage in a rush.
Accommodation Woes
- Accommodation has the potential to make or break a holiday experience. Booking that once-in-a-lifetime destination can often be offset with a sub-par hotel, complete with faulty air-conditioning and a host of creepy-crawly co-inhabitants.
- Travelling to a new country or a new city can be an exciting yet exhausting experience. A poor choice of hotel can detract from the enjoyment of getting to know a new area, as well as contribute to a significant loss of sleep and happiness!
- It pays to thoroughly read reviews of hotels and guest houses before committing to a booking. AirBnB has plenty of options; it’s one of the best ways to make sure that planned accommodation lives up to expectations. Or why not opt for the more traditional route of asking around for recommendations?
Navigation Difficulties
- Travellers who choose to discover a new area by exploring on foot can often come across navigation difficulties. A wrong turn here or a missing street sign there is often unavoidable when trying to get to know a new locality.
- A smartphone can be a lifesaver in these situations; drumming up a street map of the area and making full use of its navigational abilities is highly recommended.
- In the same vein, it’s also essential to make sure that passports, wallets, and other important documents are kept safe both online and offline through the course of the journey. A well-protected travel wallet, tamper-proof cases for documents, and a strong password for any tech devices are crucial.
2. Turning Travel Unexpectedness Into Fun and Excitement
Traveling can sometimes be unpredictable and exciting. En route to your destination, unexpected stops, events and new friends can turn your journey into a fun and exhilarating experience.
1. Live in the Moment
Be open to the surprises that come your way. Instead of being frustrated by unforeseen delays, take the time to enjoy the spontaneity that each day brings. Go ahead and take a leisurely stroll at the park or get to know the locals at the nearby cafe. Taking a few moments to live in the moment can make your journey much more memorable.
2. Try Something New
Traveling can be an opportunity to learn something unique. Give a unique local activity or cuisine a try, or explore a culture different from your own. Not only is it a great way to make your journey more interesting, it might even spark something new in you.
3. Make Friends with Strangers
Meeting and talking to locals can broaden your knowledge and help you see things from a different perspective. Strike up conversations with strangers, where you can learn something new and maybe even make a few friends along the way.
4. Enjoy the Little Things
Pay attention to the little details. Look out of the window and appreciate the beautiful view, or make an effort to learn the language. Savour the amazing local food with all its spices. Little moments like these can really make your journey something to remember.
5. Document What You See
It’s always nice to take back up some memories with you. Take out your camera and take pictures of the sights and moments that you like. Or, take notes of your experiences as you go and write down your thoughts in a journal. Having something to look back on will allow you to go back and re-live the journey.
3. A Collection of Laughter-Inducing Travel Stumbles
Travel Fails That’ll Make You LOL
Even experienced globetrotters have experienced the occasional hiccup. Chances are, if you’ve taken a trip before, you’ve had your fair share of blunders and bloopers.
Portland’s PDX airport has its fare share of stories to tell. A good number of travelers coming in from a dream trip to Europe, Thailand or the Caribbean recall hilarious incidents of desperately running around the terminal without shoes, or being prematurely tan from head to toe. As for the inside of the aeroplane, it’s easy to imagine how funny it would be if you easily knocked someone’s food tray onto their lap, or if you a) had uninvited dinner companion in the form of a sea urchin or b) accidentally flushed someone’s passport down the toilet.
Have trouble dealing with jetlag? That might explain why a certain tourist once took a long, stiff nap in the middle of the Louvre. Other travelers have caused unintentional, yet uproarious commotions at the beach, such as someone narrowly missing getting trampled by a heard of wild horses on the shore.
Regardless of the intensity of the snafu, it’s good to keep these three things in mind:
- Whoops moments are a part of the adventure. If you’re lucky nothing major happens, and even if it did, you can look back on it with laughter in the end.
- Stay where you can find help. Whether it’s a hotel concierge, a shop clerk or even a nosy bystander giving unsolicited advice, having someone on hand who understands the local language or isn’t unfamiliar with the dilemma can make a world of difference.
- Have a plan B. Plan out an alternate route or a contingency fund if any sort of disruption arises. That way, you can quickly backtrack or reroute with ease.
4. Finding Humor and Hope in the Unexpected on the Open Road
Traveling is like coming upon a surprise. One moment, everything may look the same, but suddenly, something unexpected reveals itself. It could be finding humor in an absurd situation, or taking a moment to hope for a better tomorrow. On an open road, these moments take form in ways that are sometimes confusing, but always unique.
Making Jokes of the Unfamiliar
On the open road, one can hardly help finding a bit of humor in the strangeness of it all. That one-horse town with its dusty diner offering the weirdest of meals. Or the eccentric middle-aged couple you pass on the highway wearing matching Hawaiian shirts. From the silly to the downright bizarre, there is something comical about the unexpected.
Finding a Different Kind of Comfort
Of course, humor isn’t the only thing that one finds on the open road. More than anything, the unfamiliar can bring a sense of awe and wonder. Even when things appear to be strange, there is a comfort in the discovery that comes with the unexpected. You never know when a moment of surprise will lead to something greater.
The Road Ahead
Looking ahead, the open road offers an invitation to new experiences. We never know what may come around the bend, but it’s still possible to look forward with optimism. From sunrise to sunset, the world is a surprise waiting to unfold.
A Clean Slate
Sometimes on the open road, it feels like anything is possible. With a blank slate of unfamiliarity, a road trip can be an opportunity to start fresh and fill that emptiness with hope. Anything can become something new, and with enough determination, an adventure can bring out the best in us.
- Adventure is always within reach.
- Strange encounters can be funny.
- Unexpected moments provide moments of surprise.
- The open road offers a chance to start anew.
- Hope and optimism are just around the corner.
Finding moments of humor and hope is part of the joy of coming across the unexpected on an open road. Whether it’s a funny encounter or the feeling of a New Year, embracing the unknown can provide wild moments of discovery that make the journey worthwhile.
Exploring the world can be a challenge sometimes, but experiencing the unexpected can show us that it’s worth navigating the hiccups. Our travel mishaps and misadventures may not have worked out the way we planned, but it’s important to remember that travel is all about creating lasting memories and just maybe, having a few laughs along the way.
