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We have started our journey. I am a big proponent of slow travel. If I can take a boat or train instead of an aeroplane, I will. This is partly about the environment, of course, but it’s also to take the stress out of travel. What good is a holiday if the day before and the day after are spent stewing in stress?
When I have to take an aeroplane–such as on this journey–I take my time. I book a hotel at the airport the night before, so we can chill out on the journey to the airport and not worry about being late. It also means I can wake up slowly, enjoy a leisurely breakfast, and still sail through check-in 3 hours early.
This time around we are staying in a Hilton. Upon arrival, they cheerfully informed me I was the ‘member of the day’, and upgraded me to a fancy room, provided me with a free drink and free breakfast, and gave me a free dessert platter.
The older I get, the more I believe mindset matters. Take things slowly, mindfully; take a moment to smile and talk to people, and you create a positive feedback loop. But if you try and do everything with ruthless efficiency, there’s no buffer when things go wrong and you end up in a negative spiral.