My Worst Travel moments of 2024

You possibly can’t have the great with out the dangerous — and I’ve at all times made an effort to speak concerning the dangerous occasions that occur whereas touring! The highest factor that folks inform me is “You’re so sincere,” and I ensure that to inform the reality.

As a result of sure — journey is enjoyable and transformative and life-affirming. However it may also be uncomfortable, traumatic, smelly, and costly.

It’s good to keep in mind that, and it helps you recognize the great moments extra. (And it’s a number of enjoyable to snigger about it after the actual fact!)

Let’s check out my worst journey moments of 2024!

The Horrible Sickness of February

I’ll admit that I’m nonetheless pissed off about this, months later. I attended a convention in February. A colleague confirmed up on the convention coughing in all places, insisting that their sickness wasn’t something anybody needed to fear about.

Spoiler alert: it was.

Just a few days after the convention, on my ultimate day in Paris, I seen that my ham and brie sandwich didn’t style…proper. Two days after that, I turned so sick with a hacking chilly that I went a complete evening with out sleeping a wink. I examined myself for COVID a number of occasions and it at all times got here again damaging, however the coughing obtained so dangerous, I nearly couldn’t cease.

That is the sickest that I’ve ever been — far worse than my bout with COVID in 2022.

I went to see my physician, who identified me with bronchitis, and it took weeks to lastly dissipate.

And what? My cough sounded EXACTLY like my colleague’s on the convention — the cough that apparently no person needed to fear about.

My colleague ought to have skipped the convention — however since they insisted on attending, they need to have worn a masks. And what I did? I masked on the solely different convention I attended in 2024, as a result of there was no approach I used to be going to get that sick from somebody once more. I used to be considered one of two individuals masking.

Please, individuals — I perceive that you just’re not going to masks on a regular basis. I ask that you just please masks in case you’re sick, even when it isn’t COVID, and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE masks in case you’re feeling a bit beneath the climate however you need to attend an occasion the place you’re spending plenty of time face-to-face with different individuals.

A Disastrous Layover in Zürich

I at all times give myself copious layover time when touring. I’m ceaselessly paranoid about lacking flights and connections, and can gladly select just a few additional hours hanging in an airport lounge somewhat than worrying like mad I’m going to overlook my flight.

Properly. I made a decision to stay slightly and seize a less expensive flight from Boston to Prague with a 90-minute layover in Zürich. And WOULDN’T YOU KNOW, my flight from Boston ended up delayed an hour.

Did Swiss Airways mechanically ebook me on a brand new flight? No. They informed me I might make it. So I leaped up and ran via the airport, begging individuals to let me lower them within the immigration line, racing via a number of terminals.

And at one level, I tripped. My bag’s zipper opened. And my digital camera, which was in my backpack however not a further protecting case, fell on its lens, sticking it out from a nasty angle.

I made the flight with about 30 seconds to spare, so pink and sweaty that folks on the airport bus really stood as much as let me sit. My baggage didn’t make it, nevertheless it obtained on the subsequent flight and I had it by round midnight.

Fixing the lens value about $200. And it was SO NOT WORTH touring with a good connection. An costly lesson, and one I hope that I’ve realized. (I’m additionally significantly better about defending my digital camera lately.)

Getting Meals Poisoning in Bhutan

I awoke my second morning in Bhutan with an uncomfortable but acquainted cramping in my abdomen. This couldn’t be one other spherical of meals poisoning, might it? And I promptly vomited, took some charcoal drugs (man, I want Pepto-Bismol was offered in Europe), then vomited a second time in all black.

The hardest factor about meals poisoning is just not realizing the place it got here from. It might have been the filmy milk within the espresso, the marginally strange-tasting rooster. I’ll by no means know.

I texted my information, Sonam, and he insisted on taking me to the hospital. Although I initially protested, I gave in an hour later. I obtained to expertise Bhutanese healthcare (free!) and after taking some cipro, I felt significantly better.

Sadly, it put a damper on the remainder of my journey — I just about ate as blandly as I might, typically having simply rice for a meal. I struggled via a meal at my homestay, throughout which the grandmother chided me for consuming too little, as I prayed that the air-dried pork and uncooked milk wouldn’t ship me down one other dangerous path.

For what it’s price, the expats I frolicked with one evening in Thimphu informed me that they get meals poisoning just a few occasions a yr in Bhutan (!). In the event you go, eat fastidiously and cease consuming if one thing appears bizarre (like I ought to have completed with the milk and the rooster).

A Scary Incident on an Airport Bus

Once I was leaving London after the TravMedia Awards, I organized to take the airport bus to Luton Airport. As common, I scheduled my departure for slightly sooner than I wanted it to be, simply in case — and it seems that was a smart determination.

Swiftly, there was a commotion on the bus, and I noticed that an older man had fainted. The bus pulled over. The person regained consciousness however he was weak, and neither he nor his spouse spoke English, solely Polish.

We sprang into motion. The motive force known as an ambulance. A lady gave the person a bottle of water. I pulled up Google Translate on my telephone and began speaking together with his spouse, working communication between her and the paramedics on the telephone. She informed me he had issues together with his coronary heart.

Ultimately the paramedics arrived and satisfied the couple that it might be harmful for him to fly, that they each wanted to go to the hospital. And so they finally known as up their very own language line to run the communication. The couple finally agreed to go to the hospital. Our bus was stopped for about half an hour — no downside for me, however some fellow passengers had been working late for his or her flights.

This can be a reminder that it’s a good suggestion to have Google Translate in your telephone, on a regular basis. You by no means know if you may run into an emergency with a non-English speaker.

I’ve been considering of the couple ever since. I hope they’re doing okay.

A Weird Tour on Ventotene

The island of Ventotene was undoubtedly one of many extra random spots Charlie and I visited this yr — after studying about it whereas in Ischia, we couldn’t get it out of our minds! And so we headed to the tiny, blink-and-you-miss-it island between Ischia and Ponza.

There isn’t a lot to do on Ventotene — two seashores, zero swimming swimming pools, and in case you don’t seize a seaside chair early, you’ll roast to dying on the black sand. It was too scorching to face on the sand in sneakers!

So we selected to take a tour to the even tinier island of Santo Stefano, previously dwelling to a jail. Certain, the tour could be in Italian, however we converse a little bit of Italian and will fill within the gaps with Google Translate.

We sailed to the island, climbed up an enormous hill, marveled on the outdoors of the jail, which is designed like a theater within the spherical, and listened to our information whereas utilizing Google Translate. Then it was time to move inside! We placed on our arduous hats and obtained excited to discover the jail cells.

And…they led us into seats within the courtyard. The place we sat. And so they lectured us for the subsequent 90 minutes. Would we be exploring the jail? No, in fact not! The arduous hat was only for strolling via the doorway. Oh, and right here there was no telephone sign, so no translation.

It was simply weird that we got here all this manner simply to take a seat in a seat and listen to a protracted historical past lesson, unable to truly tour the constructing.

Scorching Air Ballooning Canceled in Scottsdale

I used to be so wanting ahead to scorching air ballooning in Scottsdale, despite the fact that I knew behind my thoughts that it’s a particularly weather-sensitive exercise and irrespective of the place it’s going down, it may be canceled on the drop of a hat.

Scorching air ballooning is normally an early morning exercise. So early that we needed to be prepared at 3:00 AM, and I by no means obtained to sleep that evening. Beth and I obtained dressed, headed downstairs, giggled on the dolled-up ladies within the foyer getting back from their evening out as we ready to begin our day.

We obtained into our pickup van, and instantly the driving force obtained a textual content and groaned: scorching air ballooning was canceled on account of hostile climate. Oh effectively. We piled out of the automobile, went again upstairs, and it took me about one other two hours to go to sleep after that adrenaline spike.

(Nonetheless, it wasn’t as dangerous as my final canceled scorching air balloon trip, in South Africa, the place we didn’t discover out till we had been an hour into our drive there! And considered one of my fellow vacationers had consumed a number of middle-of-the-night espressos in preparation…)

A Lengthy Drive With out A/C

Our little highway journey to South Moravia coincided with the most well liked week of the yr, in late August and early September. As common, Charlie and I picked out some podcasts to take pleasure in on the drive.

Then after about 10 minutes, we realized that the automobile wasn’t getting any cooler. Yep, the air-con was not working and wouldn’t work for our three-hour drive in searing warmth!

So we did what anybody would do. Cranked down the home windows and cranked up the podcast quantity. WAY up.

The COVID Resort Follies

In the midst of July, Charlie was feeling sick, took a COVID take a look at, and it got here again constructive. I examined and it was damaging. We instantly placed on masks and went into planning mode.

The timing was not very best — my birthday journey to Croatia was just below two weeks away. The journey for which seven of my pals had been flying in from 4 totally different nations.

Charlie would most likely be absolutely recovered by then, but when I obtained COVID from him, I wouldn’t be. I couldn’t miss my very own fortieth birthday!! Particularly since my thirtieth birthday was so terrible. I’d do every thing I might to keep away from COVID.

I rapidly discovered an condo proper by the church of St. Peter of Pořiči, not too removed from our place — however then I realized the arduous approach that the bell of that church tolls EVERY FIFTEEN MINUTES ALL NIGHT LONG. Not good! And guess what…I had booked a nonrefundable three-night keep. Good!! (At the very least I obtained to benefit from the cardamom-y butter rooster on the Indian restaurant throughout the road.)

Three nights later, Charlie was nonetheless testing constructive. I then used my annual $300 journey credit score from my CapitalOne Enterprise X card (which I extremely advocate!) to ebook a number of nights at a resort in my neighborhood, removed from any tolling bells.

Throughout these days, I lived like a hermit and masked anytime I needed to go anyplace. I couldn’t danger COVID from anybody. Charlie and I nonetheless had our meal supply service, which we ate on park benches 15 ft aside. And it paid off. Charlie was quickly testing damaging once more loads of days earlier than our departure to Croatia, and I by no means examined constructive.

I really feel so fortunate that I averted COVID so near a significant occasion.

The Florence Backyard Exit Catastrophe

When doing analysis for my put up about the perfect views in Florence, I visited the Boboli Gardens and its lesser-known sibling, the Bardini Gardens. Instantly after, I had an appointment to climb the Arnolfo Tower on the Palazzo Vecchio.

The Bardini Gardens are structured on a heavy slope downward. There was an exit on the backside of the slope, and there was an indication studying in Italian that the exit could be closed till March 15. “Good,” I assumed, as a result of it was March 19.

I climbed all the best way all the way down to the underside exit, intending to go away, and the door was shut and there was no worker there. There have been, nonetheless, just a few males hanging out in a patio that adjoined to the backyard.

“Why is no person there?” I requested the lads. They insisted that there was an worker there. There wasn’t, I informed them. There was, they insisted. Then one got here with me to show it, and shock — I used to be proper, and no person was there. There’s a lot informal misogyny in Italy, and this simply irritated me — why not imagine me?

At this level, I used to be going to be late for my tower appointment, so I requested the lads if I might please depart via their condo. I might actually see the door in entrance of me. They checked out me…and mentioned no. Actually? Actually??

Anyway, I needed to climb the steep hill all the best way again to the Bardini Gardens’ high entrance (at which I briefly ranted in Italian on the worker that at the moment is March 19, why does the signal say March 15 whether it is nonetheless closed?). I ran all the best way down the steep hill once more, crossed the Ponte Vecchio, ran over to Piazza Signoria, made it with one minute to spare…

…and came upon that I had booked the mistaken type of ticket. I booked the museum, not the tower climb! It’s very simple to get the mistaken type of ticket, and I’m going into find out how to ebook it appropriately in my Florence information and the perfect views in Florence put up.

I needed to drown my sorrows in gelato.

Total, none of these items was that dangerous.

I acknowledge that each one of these items was small potatoes within the grand scheme of issues. Far, far worse issues can occur if you journey. A part of that’s as a result of I’m cautious, and a part of that’s as a result of I’m fortunate. I always remember that.

And I’m ceaselessly grateful that I’m wholesome and joyful and persevering with to do that for a dwelling.

I’d love to listen to about YOUR worst journey moments of 2024!