I have lost my Traveler benefit

I have lost my Traveler benefit

After a year and a half at home, Kia finds traveling a little more challenging than before

There is a certain level of hubris that comes with a travel lifestyle. I'm not talking about the curated selfies of Instagram or endless filtered sunsets, but about journeys that come before them: the hard-bitten journalist who grabs his overnight bag on the way to a conflict zone, the high-profile CEO who gets another red eye, or the "third culture kid" who frequently flies between three cities.

These people tend to wear travel like a badge of honor. They are efficient in the queue at the airport and request those who are slower. They are aggressive with their travel tips and heavily armed with airline miles. They are adaptable, practical, unflappable - or at least that's what they like to believe. They have been to the place you want to go and seen what you want to see and are never afraid to tell you.

How should I know? Because I am one of them. Or at least I used to be.

As part of Atlas & Boots, I used to be on the road for four to six months every year - until the pandemic broke out. As it stands, I haven't traveled abroad in 14 months. I thought I would be relieved to get back on the road, but I seem to have lost my travel spirit.

It's not that I'm afraid of going back into the world (like seemingly every columnist in the country). Rather, I have lost that edge that made me comfortable with moving around.

pio3/ShutterstockA short trip to London proved challenging

Last week Peter and I took a quick trip to London and stayed in three different places within a week. I felt annoyed and stressed because I had to keep packing and unpacking. I didn't like having the wrong coat, shoes, or bag for my various commitments - something I don't usually worry about when packing ultralight for the road.

I didn't like sleeping on pillows that were too soft or too hard, or using a hairdryer that wasn't mine. I got cold and hungry when stuck on a train platform and hot and uncomfortable when carrying my luggage up a flight of stairs.

Traveling has been a part of me for more or less a decade. Whether I was sleeping with snakes in the outback or with rats on an active volcano, I could grit my teeth and carry on. However, on last week's trip I was tested by little things: the slightly smaller bathroom than at home, the disappointing breakfast in a Hackney cafe. I realized that I had stayed home for the past year and lost part of my identity.

Atlas & Boots

Atlas & Boots

Atlas & Boots

“Traveling has been part of me for a long time”

Years ago I wrote about the biggest myth in travel. In it I explained that there is absolutely nothing wrong with not wanting to travel. I also suggested that I personally would never get tired, so I'm surprised to find otherwise.

The solution, in my opinion, is to get back on the streets. I don't think it will be as effortless as I would like. I'm sure I'll struggle without my comforts, and I dare say other passengers will annoy me more than usual with their reclining seats, loud chewing and splaying, but given that travel has played such a big role in my living a full and fulfilling life, I think I'll learn to deal with it again.

See you out there.

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Mission statement: Atlas & Boots

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