7 Odd Things We Actually Miss About Traveling

Raise your hand if you miss traveling!

We know you can't see it, but our hands are high in the air right now. As countries across the world struggle to get COVID-19 under control, we know that complaining about not being able to travel is so shallow. But what can we say? We miss it. We miss it a whole lot.

In fact, the idea of jet-setting to a new location seems so far away that we're starting to pine for things about travel that we never thought we'd miss. Keep scrolling for seven odd things we actually miss about traveling.

Airplane Food

We said it and we're sticking to it: We miss airplane food. Now, we don't miss it for the actual cuisine. After all, here's a reason airplane food is the butt of so many jokes. But we do miss the process of receiving a hot meal while flying thousands of feet in the air.

With airplane food, you never know if your meal will be good or bad. Still, part of us misses getting served by flustered flight attendants and carefully picking through the meal to figure out what's edible. Eating dinner on an airplane is an experience, and it's one we're excited to have again.

 

Airport Security

Just as odd as missing airplane food, we also miss the experience of heading through airport security. In normal times, getting through security is the worst part of the trip. You have to take crucial things out of your bag, walk around without your shoes off and deal with grumpy TSA agents.

However, going through airport security also signifies the start of something new and exciting. That's the feeling we miss right now. We'd happily go through security ten times if it meant we could visit a new location. Right now, dealing with TSA agents sounds much more preferable to spending all day inside, all alone.

 

People Talking to Us on Planes

In non-COVID times, sitting next to a passenger who just won't stop talking is one of the worst things that can happen. You want to zone out and listen to music, but Chatty Kathy keeps asking you odd questions about your trip. It's not relaxing, and it's certainly not something we ever thought we'd miss.

Unfortunately, we do. After so much time spent in the house, we'd be happy to sit next to a chatty fellow traveler. Not only does it indicate that we're off on a new adventure, but it also gives us a chance to talk to someone who isn't our family or our dog. While the excitement of sitting next to a talkative person will wear off eventually, right now we'd be happy to answer questions for an entire flight if it meant we could head somewhere new.

(via Unsplash)

 

Long Road Trips

Of course, not all traveling takes place on a plane. Road trips are also an effective way to explore and see new things. Before COVID-19, road trips felt like the worst way to travel. While plane rides get you somewhere new in no time, road trips demand hours upon hours of sitting in a car trying to entertain yourself.

Right now, however, we'd happily head out on a long road trip. Sitting in the car, even if there's nothing to do, is much more appealing than staying home day and day out. Long hours driving to a new location used to feel like torture. Now, they would be a welcome distraction from the monotony of life during social distancing.

 

Stocking Up on Snacks

Traveling is usually about getting to your destination. Everything in between, like layovers in the airport or constant stops for gas, is just a necessary evil you have to endure while pursuing a new adventure. Now that we can't travel, however, thinking about the entire process leaves a hole in our hearts.

We especially miss stocking up on snacks before a big trip. Whether wandering through the stores in the airport or buying everything in sight at a gas station, snacks are a must on any journey. We miss buying every fatty, sugary thing we could get our hands on and digging into bags of chips and packets of gummies during the trip. We don't know what it is about traveling that makes it okay to totally pig out, but we definitely miss taking advantage of that feeling.

 

Subpar Accommodation

There's nothing worse than arriving at your hotel or Airbnb on the first day of your trip, only to find that it's…not exactly what you were hoping for. At least, that's what we used to think. At this point, however, we'd settle for any kind of accommodation as long as it means a trip away from home.

At one time, a hotel room that was much smaller than it looked online or still had lingering signs of former guests would have ruined the trip. Now, however, the idea of getting away from home is so intoxicating that nothing could mess up the feeling of arriving at your new accommodation. In fact, we miss staying at subpar places, if only because dealing with the issues in our accommodation was an adventure in itself. Is a lack of traveling making us crazy?

 

Delayed Flights

Delayed flights are a massive annoyance. Not only does a delay mean that you won't arrive at your location on time, but it also forces you to sit in the airport twiddling your thumbs until you board your plane. Now, however, we crave that feeling.

While a delayed flight always makes us angry, it also gives us a chance to chill out and explore the airport. You can grab some overpriced food, invest in a few magazines that you'd never normally buy and just hang out for a few hours. After all, there's nothing better to do when you're waiting for your plane to take off. Odd as it sounds, we actually miss the feeling of having nowhere to be due to a delayed flight. It's certainly an inconvenience, but it's one that we'd be happy to deal with right now.

(via Unsplash)

 

You might not be able to plan a trip, but you can still dream about it. Click HERE for your ideal travel destination, based on your zodiac sign.