10 Weirdly Specific Feelings We Miss From Traveling
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Hitting the Economy Jackpot
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Unfolding Your Legs
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Customs Nerves
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Booking a Ticket
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Heat
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Wheels Up
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The Simplicity of Living Out of a Suitcase
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Anonymity
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Anticipation
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Gate Satisfaction
It’s been a long year without travel, and there’s so much we miss. In addition to the obvious, grand-scale things we miss about travel, we’ve even started to long for the tiny, little feelings you only experience on a long journey away from home.
As the line of people pouring into the plane dwindles down and the seat next to you remains empty, you start to get hopeful. When you finally hear the cabin crew announce that boarding is complete and that the cabin door is closed, the feeling of being lucky enough to score some extra space hits you—there’s no better start to a flight. (Aside from maybe an upgrade.)
Related:8 Tips from a Flight Attendant’s Daughter to Save Money on Your Next Flight
After sitting uncomfortably upright or semi-reclined for way too long on a flight, is there any better feeling than finally getting to your hotel and getting to lie down on the bed and completely stretch out your legs?
We even miss that heart-pounding, nervously sweaty feeling that overtakes us any time we have to go through customs abroad or at home, even though we haven’t done anything wrong. (Although leaving a store without buying anything sometimes recreates that feeling.)
That slightly terrifying, exhilarating moment of clicking “book ticket” when you’re afraid you messed up the dates or spelled your name wrong—but are also now ready to start the delicious anticipation of looking forward to your trip.
The brief moment between stepping out of an ice-cold airplane and onto a hot tarmac where you feel deliciously warm and like you’re dethawing rather than sweaty and overheated. This feeling is even more satisfying when you’re traveling from a cold winter destination to a hot sunny one, and get to shed your heavy coat as you disembark.
The sensation of relief you feel when the plane wheels leave the ground after a long delay…and also the same feeling when the wheels touch down after a long flight.
What will you wear today? You don’t have to overthink it because you’re limited to what fit in your bag. Pairs well with the incredibly satisfying feeling of having packed perfectly and having a well-organized bag with all the essentials.
The feeling of being totally alone even in a crowd of people, because you’re thousands of miles from home and no one knows you. Honestly, we just straight up miss crowds… and people at this point.
The exquisite torture of not being able to sleep the night before because you’re so excited to travel. We’re so desperate to travel that we even miss the feeling of stressing all night that we’re going to sleep through our before-dawn alarm for a redeye flight.
Completely different from the feeling of sitting at home having nothing to do and nowhere to be, the experience of sitting at a gate while perfectly on time for your flight, and not having to do anything or be anywhere except right where you are.