A recent wedding had me heading down to the good ‘ole U S of A. I love to seeing new countries and visiting friends that live in other parts of the world. However, I’ve come to realize that there is a difference between exploring a new country and travelling.

Travelling can be great. It allows you to explore foreign culture and take people-watching to a whole new level. The actual process of getting to and from your chosen destination, on the other hand, is draining, especially if you’ve chosen an economical route. After you’ve stepped off your third connecting flight, you start to rethink your priorities. Having lugged around your carry-on from airport to airport all day, all you want to do when you reach the hotel is shower and sleep. Being an economical traveller is exhausting.

Flying really isn’t as glamorous as society makes it out to be. Aside from the thrill of takeoff, flying leaves much to be desired. I mean, it was alright before they took away the free goods. Now, if you want to watch a movie on your somewhat inexpensive flight, you have to stealthily eavesdrop on the movie playing on the laptop next to you and create dialogue in your mind. Unless of course you’re brave enough to ask for one of their earbuds.

How is it, as Murphy’s law would go, that the attractive guy gets seated next to you when you’re unshowered and you just ran from the other end of the airport to catch your connecting flight? When you’re fresh as a daisy, you get stuck with the talkers or the small town-grown first time flyers.

Sure, fly to a remote city. Live like the locals do. If living like the locals means waking up before the crack of dawn to fly home and navigating through an undriveable city, you can count me out.