I love the feeling you get in ‘in between places’.
Neutral spaces like airports or hotel rooms. Travelling on a train, across the country, at night. The detached, unfamiliar feeling it evokes.
When I’m flying somewhere, I always make sure to make it to the airport way in advance.
Nick doesn’t get it. When I told him that the reason I want to leave home so early is because I need to spend time at the airport before the flight, he said he had never known anyone who liked to spend time at airports.
Well, I do.
For many years I travelled alone. The travelling part was the easy part. I always had plenty to do, plenty to keep me occupied.
I never felt lonely.
I still treasure those capsules of time before boarding, at the start of a new adventure. A sketchbook in my hand, favourite music in my ears, writing, or doodling away.
I have so many memories of airports and hotel rooms, on my own. One thing they all have in common is the unfamiliar mood, the impersonal touch, that I enjoy.
Maybe because it feels full of possibilities.
The secret of making the most of these ‘in between places’ is to be prepared.
Having the right tools at hands, approaching them with the right frame of mind. Accepting that sometimes we just have to wait about, there’s no way around it.
Actually, it’s because I hate waiting around so much that I decided to make something of it. By reclaiming my time I stopped having to wait at all.
I don’t want to quote the old adage, you know, the one about the journey and the destination.
It’s still valid though.