Some people make travel plans on the fly with a lot of spontaneity. Others create a very strict agenda to follow. While others have a basic idea with a few key stops in mind. Myself, I’m an over-planner - willing to make adjustments as needed but like to know in advance where I’m going, how I’ll get there, how long everything will take, how much it will cost and so on.
Regardless of your style, not every little detail goes as planned. My family’s trip to Europe in 2017 was no exception. But this was not something to dread or even regret later. These “hiccups” made for some of the most memorable parts of our trip.
This is part 1 in a series of a yet undetermined number of travel inconveniences that actually enrich the experience when viewed with the right attitude.
#1 Security Screening
Heading out on our trip was fairly uneventful in this regard, so I’ll start with the end of our journey, when things began to get more interesting; makes for a better story when things don’t go smoothly. Now, I’ve traveled a little bit in the past with some international flight experience as well but I’d definitely not claim to be an expert. In fact, it had all just been Canada-USA crossings. Not all of those had gone smoothly. In fact, I’ve had a couple of encounters with US Customs that I would not classify as “cordial”. Fortunately, I was only detained once (but not in handcuffs or behind bars) and I have total respect for the men and women who protect the borders of their countries. They help keep us travelers safe!
Anyway, leaving London (Gatwick Airport), I had to go through secondary screening as they needed to physically examine a souvenir in my carry-on due to its density. I asked what the issue was so that I could be better prepared at my connection and was glad I did (but that’s a story for a different segment). The rest of my family had no issues and this one was pretty minor. Now that we were in the secure area, we’re good to go - Not!
Once we got to our gate, our 17-year-old son disappeared in line ahead of us. We caught a glimpse of him talking to some airport staff member in a reflective vest but couldn’t get ahead in line to catch him. We weren’t too concerned since we were at the right gate and the only place he could really go was onto the plane, right? Wrong. As we boarded and moved closer to our seats, we could see that we was not there! With everyone else boarding, we couldn’t exactly turn around. Questions started to race through our minds - ‘What if the plane took off without him? Who actually was that guy in the vest? Did he have my portable cell phone charger in his carry on?’ You know, pressing matters. Before we had a chance to ask anyone about his whereabouts, he appeared. Security had taken him for a little tour of the tarmac where checked luggage was being loaded. The x-ray scan had turned up something suspicious in his luggage. He unlocked his suitcase to show them what was inside. Turns out, he should have declared the replica Napoleon pistol he had purchased while in Paris. The visual inspection must have satisfied their concerns as he had shown up before I finished calculating if my phone battery would last until the next airport. To be honest, I was a little jealous that I didn’t get to go out on the tarmac with him. Next time, souvenirs are going in my checked bags!