13 Ways to Know You're Traveling Too Much

Frequent international travel is part of my work as a speaker, trainer and coach. Travel has allowed me to work with clients all over the world and to see many amazing sights, including the Great Wall of China, the Colosseum in Rome, Corcovado in Rio de Janiero, temples in India and the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum.

However, it’s not always as glamorous as it sounds. My personal record for travel is 4 continents in less than 96 hours, all while nursing a stomach infection.

I’m sure that my fellow globetrotters can identify with the following 13 ways to know you’re traveling too much:

1. You look blankly at the TSA agents when they ask, “Where are you traveling?” and have to check your boarding pass.

2. You wake up in the morning and wonder where you are (helpful hint: write the city, date and time zone on the notepad on the bedside table).

3. The flight attendants and hotel desk clerks recognize you but your neighbors don’t.

4. When at home, you expect room service for breakfast, throw towels on the floor after using them and wonder why no one straightened up while you were out.

5. You arrive at the airport ready for security – wearing elastic waist pants with no belt, slip-on shoes with no laces, no jewelry and nothing in your pockets.

6. You know just by looking at the type of aircraft whether your carryon bag will fit in the overhead compartment.

7. You wish business hotels would rent rooms by the hour, for those nights when your flight is cancelled and you get to the airport hotel at midnight only to get up at 4 am to catch the shuttle back to the airport to catch the first flight out.

8. You have at least three different types of currency in your wallet at any time – and try to pay with foreign currency at your local gas station.

9. You know the location of restrooms in every major airport from New York to Shanghai.

10. When dining abroad, you learn never to accept the statement “it’s chicken” at face value.

11. You carry a portable pharmacy with you “just in case” and you’ve had to use its contents, everything from painkillers to antihistamines to anti-diarrheals (bonus: you start doling it out to others).

12. You have a ready supply of recent 2X2 color photos for your next visa application.

13. You find your normal patient and calm self ready to rant and rave when the gate agent says, “Your flight is cancelled - don’t blame us, we don’t like it anymore than you do” even though she will sleep in her own bed tonight. Or when your flight is delayed 2 hours because the ground crew in New York has to call Brazil to get a maintenance code from the airline manufacturer. Or when the security lines is held up because the infrequent travelers in front of you didn’t realize they had to remove their shoes, sweaters, belts and laptops.

Gilda Bonanno is a speaker, trainer and coach who helps people from all walks of life improve their communication and presentation skills. Copyright (c) 2015