For most people, I’ve discovered, airports are not their happy place. All the waiting, delays, anxiety, people, noise and expensive food test a traveler’s patience.  I find airports an interesting variation from everyday life, each its own personality and I like the challenge of unraveling that mystery. Some airports have obvious attractions like the Adirondack rocking chairs in Charlotte, North Carolina. Others have comfort food restaurants like Cru in Denver: a three cheese grilled sandwich with a side of basil tomato soup, which goes well with a glass of prosecco! Others have great shopping - my favs are sunglasses, travel gadgets, and anything Desigual on sale!

So here’s 10 tricks to having a fun and relaxing airport experience: 

1.Before leaving home, be sure you have all necessary travel documents, meds and your phone!  Seriously, everything else you can easily replace on the trip! Do you have your phone charger, earbuds/headphones, and favorite sunglasses? Do you have enough reading material, videos or movies downloaded - or a VPN and hotspot to use for streaming so you don’t have to use airport Wi-Fi? 

2.Get there early! It gives you peace of mind and enough to have time for a “walk about” with a yummy cup of jo and window shop. One time I actually bought a new suitcase at a Brookstone shop, laid it on the floor open and filled it with my belongings from my old suitcase. I even asked if they would take my old suitcase off my hands - they said yes! 

3.Refillable water bottle is a must: fill it often and remember to drink it empty before going through security. Try to drink as much water as you can before you get on the plane AND go to the bathroom often. Bring a sandwich and munchies from home. Every once in a while I splurge on a meal at the airport if I have enough time to savor it and people watch. The restaurant must have a quick, sunny spot perfect for a solo traveler to tuck away from the crowds and relax.  

*Sidenote: This is not the time to experiment with some spicy new dish that might upset your tummy and put you in the bathroom as your flight is beginning to board - that happened to me in Japan. I had to make a run for it to make the plane and my girlfriend, who I often fly standby with, was not happy with me. 

4.Have your own tunes going so you can keep your own mental space bubble and filter out all the human and machine chatter. This will create a calming and humorous atmosphere to observe the frenzy around you. I also travel with my kindle and journal, so reading or writing a story about a person you’re observing can be entertaining allow your creative juices to flow. If I’m nervous about the trip in some way, writing about that can be cathartic, giving me time to determine what exactly is making me anxious. If I can spend time then problem solving, great, if not, at least I’ve recognized and validated my emotions. Call me old school, but take the earbud out of your ear or drop your headphones around your neck if someone is trying to talk to you, no need to be rude. 

5.If you get lonely, sit next to someone at the restaurant bar and ask if they are familiar with the menu and can recommend something, watch the game on tv together, or ask about their travel plans. Sitting at your gate next to older people will almost always create a conversation and they love to share their itinerary and ask about your travels.  Often they express anxiety about traveling so even if I am anxious too, I try to  chit-chat and it helps us both relax. 

6.Walk, walk, walk. You’ll have plenty of time to sit on the plane. 

7.Browse the bookstore and take pics of books you want to read later or purchase one for the plane ride.  

8. Sit quietly with your eyes closed, calm music in your earbuds/headphones and imagine all the fun you’re going to have on this trip. Smile, be proud that you made the choice to take this journey. If you’re going for business, visualize success. If your journey is for a sorrowful purpose, journal about your fears or gratitude for another person.

9. Make a list of the people you want to purchase souvenirs for and ideas of what they might like. Include yourself on the list! Review your budget for these ideas. This will help your shopping stay focused on your journey. 

10.Have comfy clothes and some sort of headrest with you, in case there are long delays or layovers. As you’re walking to your gate, look around for possible snoozing spots such as a series of seats without armrests between them or in remodeled or newer airports comfy seating areas with individual cubbies. Some airports like Denver now have outdoor lounge spaces. Also, especially in older airports, where can you charge devices? These areas will tend to fill up quickly if the weather turns sour and flights start to be cancelled or delayed. You don’t always have to be in your gate area for announcements if you have your app for your airline. Just check it often! 

Happy flight!

Check out my YouTube shorts. I'm currently do a series about traveling around North America in only a

Toyota Tundra with a rooftop tent, inflatable boats, and bikes...Key Largo to Alaska!

 https://www.youtube.com/@TanisTrips