This past week, several members of the Torch staff had the honor of being sent to the College Media Association and Associate Collegiate Press conference, hosted in Dallas, Texas.
While this wasn’t my first time flying by any means—in fact the first time was when I flew to Austin, Texas, for this same conference two years ago—there are always aspects of traveling that I can’t help but notice during these adventures.
For one thing, airplanes and airports are absolutely disgusting places.
I’m not a germophobe. I know it’s cold and flu season and going anywhere poses a risk of catching something. But I felt like I was sitting in a Petri dish during our layover; people hacking up a lung next to me, little kids sneeze-spraying the chairs they’re climbing in, countless doorknobs and water fountain buttons being touched by people from all over the world… I needed an acid-bath by the time we got home.
Beyond that, I noticed how rude people can be, especially in big cities—shoving past you without a glance and talking loudly on their phones in a cramped elevator. One guy even snapped at me for looking out the window on the plane during takeoff because he wanted it to be dark so he could sleep.
While deep down I love traveling and experiencing new places and cuisines, in this case a lot of tex-mex and barbecue, I always feel drained physically and emotionally by the time I get home, drop my bag and collapse onto my floor (because I need a shower before touching my bed).
I guess the moral of this story is that I am perfectly content with not having enough money to fly for a while.
If anyone needs me, I’ll be in my nice, quiet bedroom, unpacking my luggage and hoping the guy that coughed on me at the baggage claim doesn’t have TB.
Click here to read last week’s Chat with the Chief focused on lactose intolerance.