Hints of dawn started to form above me as the sky turned cool blue, the precursor to Macau’s harsh sun and scorching heat. There was a beautiful morning ahead of me, but I didn’t have the time to take it all in. I was too worried. Worried and completely riddled with anxiety.
I was supposed to have arrived at the airport a few hours earlier, but I had overslept. After scrambling to make last minute preparations, I stood on the pavement waiting for a cab, but there were none. There hadn’t been any in over 20 minutes. The ticking of my watch seemingly grew louder, beginning to sound as if it were mocking me for running as late as I was.
As my check-in time grew closer and closer, it dawned on me that there was a chance that I wouldn’t make it. My backpack began to feel heavier, while I realised just how many stairs I would have to climb if I had to take my heavy luggage back home again. I prayed for a glimpse of the familiar green glow of a “For Hire” sign on a black and white cab.
Just when I thought all hope was lost, I breathed a sigh of relief when a cab finally appeared with its glowing sign, the halo on an angel’s head. I was at least one less hiccough from being in another part of the world.
I was at the airport in no time and thankfully nothing more went wrong. After all was said and done, I finally got a chance to sit and reflect on all that had happened that morning, the events of which could have led to the fifth year without traveling.
Was there anything that I could have done differently to avoid almost sabotaging a carefully planned dream trip? Certainly, and I think these are things that you can certainly avoid too.
The first thing is probably the most obvious: I could have slept enough and woken up at a much more convenient time. This is the best advice I can give, especially to those who are set to fly in the early hours of the morning, as oversleeping and subsequently running late might cost one dearly. Had I woken up as early as I had planned or actually slept enough rather than indulging in some Netflix and a gaming marathon, I would have made it on time. Although another alternative would be not to sleep at all, your body will let you know what that is a bad idea later in the day.
Another thing that one can do is to make sure that everything is ready for your trip, which means more than just preparing everything just the night before. The night before the trip should be the time when everything is set so that you don’t find yourself running around before you have to leave, which again in my case, would have saved me some time. It also goes without saying, make sure that your passport and tickets are where they should be, while all of the things that you might need are all packed and ready before you go to bed.
Lastly, it would be helpful to visualise the trip coming into fruition. Thinking about it would not only be helpful in giving one something to look forward to, but what one will need and how everything should be planned accordingly. Had I not procrastinated and left some things to the last minute and overslept, the chaos that unfolded that morning could have been avoided entirely.
These are the pitfalls that I hope that people will be able to avoid as they set out for long awaited, planned or spontaneous trips. Though mostly small issues, they can greatly impact the way your trip will end up, or if you can even take a trip at all. Keep these things in mind and perhaps you’ll be able enjoy a hassle-free trip.
Photo taken last week by Rui Pastorin
