“Passport to Perspective: How Travel and Travail Made Me Wiser.”

Last week, on my way home from Germany, after a nine-hour flight, I endured a seven-hour layover at Detroit Airport. I finally got home just before midnight. My bed felt like a cozy cloud, letting my six-foot frame sprawl out like an amoeba and sink into a peaceful, snoring bliss. 

Traveling is a microcosm of life. If you travel regularly, especially by plane, you’re likely to experience as many highs and lows as a jumbo jet. If you don’t learn how to handle these problems well, you’re inviting unnecessary stress. Trust me, I’ve had plenty of practice.

I faced a few challenges during my recent trip to Germany to visit my daughter, son-in-law, and newborn granddaughter. Traveling, especially by air, reminded me of some essential life lessons. Here are a few to consider. 

Expect the worst and you’ll never be disappointed.

The famous, wise investor, teacher, and Warren Buffett's partner once said, “The first rule of a happy life is low expectations. If you have unrealistic expectations, you’re going to be miserable your whole life.” 

We often go through life expecting smooth sailing, but more often we face storms and even a hurricane or two. Our ship gets tossed around, and before you know it, we’re seasick in the ocean of life.

I’m not suggesting you become a pessimist, unless you already are, and that’s okay too. Maybe 'realist' is a more accurate term. 

For instance, when I go to an airport to board a plane, I allow plenty of time for long lines, annoying people who’ve over-packed by ten pounds and have to step away from the check-in counter to re-pack, grouchy security agents, and travelers trying to send through baggage containing huge bottles of shampoo, conditioner, water, hairspray, body lotion, a pocket knife, and a jumbo toothpaste tube.

Most of the time, this doesn’t happen, but when it does, I’m not surprised or pressed for time. When you're heading to your airplane, expect the worst. Also, keep in mind that eventually, you’ll probably be the one holding up the line.

Like traveling through life, getting from home to an airplane involves many moving parts, which makes my next point even more relevant.

Patience is a virtue.

Traveling travails make the best stories.

As a traveler, you won't need to ask for patience from the Lord. For the wanderer, moving from one destination to another will offer plenty of chances to test your forbearance, and if you don’t practice patience, you'll end up miserable. 

Many years ago, I took a small group of missionaries to Thailand. On the way, we flew through Detroit (why does Detroit keep coming up?), and I had to gate check my small suitcase containing my computer, Walkman (some of you know what that is; if not, ask an older person like me), medicines, books for the twelve-hour flight, and other necessary travel items. 

Somewhere between Baltimore and Detroit, a luggage handler tore off my luggage tag, which meant I couldn't retrieve my bag until I reached Tokyo. It was airport rules. I was furious. I caused a scene arguing with the gate agent while my little team watched their fearless leader make a fool of himself. It was a rough start to the trip. 

Patience is a virtue. Practice it often, and you’ll be a much happier camper.          

Get out of your comfort zone.

Our natural tendency is to seek the most comfortable, trouble-free life possible. We are constantly flooded with so-called opportunities to make our lives as easy, enjoyable, and stress-free as possible. New products are always claimed to be more tasty, faster, more accurate, softer, more absorbent, longer-lasting, trouble-free, cheaper, and more beautiful. 

I love comfort! What about you? However, much of life is not comfortable, and discomfort often teaches some of life’s most important lessons and creates memorable moments. 

Most airlines offer upgraded seating with names like “Comfort” or “Comfort Plus.” This raises the question: Why aren’t all seats comfortable? At least airlines are being honest. Almost a quarter of the seats on a plane should be labeled, “Discomfort,” or “Discomfort Plus,” or “Miserable.” A few areas should even be called “Torture.” 

The goal isn't comfort; it's safety. One of the most striking oxymorons said on a commercial flight is, “Now sit back and relax.” However, would you rather be safe and uncomfortable, or comfortable and dead? Comfort isn't the goal; traveling long distances in the safest, shortest time is. 

But here’s the deal. You’ll feel uncomfortable for a few hours, but you’ll reach your destination faster than ever before. 

The Bible does not promise a life of comfort. Instead, it emphasizes that life on earth is full of difficulties and hardships. The Scriptures teach us how to navigate a world of challenges and even turn them around. It shows us how to use our brief sufferings to our advantage. 

In the right hands, discomfort is a powerful tool. Trouble can help you become stronger, wiser, and more stable.

So, Delta did me a favor.

Roll With the Punches

My return trip from a hastily planned trip to Germany last week was a comedy of errors. I quickly arranged this adventure because two days after returning from a two-week cruise, my daughter gave birth to a seven-pound, six-ounce bundle of joy. Arranging international trips quickly can be hazardous.

I booked an Airbnb for my stay without any issues, then started looking for flights. Airlines aren't very quick or travel-friendly when it comes to planning, so finding seats to Frankfurt was a challenge. However, as I mentioned earlier, I managed to secure seats but with long layovers. 

I then set about securing a rental vehicle. I don't do well with cars that are too small, so I got a “normal” sized vehicle. Europeans tend towards small cars, so roads, and especially parking garages, are Lilliputian in size. Since my car did not easily fit into the postage-stamp parking space in the underground garage for my unit, it was a challenge to enter and exit my assigned parking space.

I skillfully navigated the three-inch gaps between the pillars on both sides and then made the tight turn onto the entry ramp. I had done an impressive job all week, or at least I thought, until returning the sedan to Enterprise. 

But first, I needed to drop my friend off at Terminal One and then find my way to Terminal Two to catch my flight. Easy peasy, right? Nope! I got lost several times until I stumbled upon the rental car return ramp, where I pulled into the Enterprise return lane. I squeezed into the parking space where a small sign directly in front of me told me not to leave the car in that spot. If not there, where, I wondered.

I got out anyway, unloaded my suitcases, and headed the length of the garage toward what I hoped would be the rental counter. Not! I ran into a Hertz attendant who told me the return lane was about a dozen lanes further down. The only way to get there was to back up the length of the garage, hoping no one would hem me in, and drive from lane twelve to lane one-hundred seventeen, where I would find a helpful Enterprise attendant. 

God was gracious. I backed up the length of the garage and made my way to the real return lane. Time was ticking, and I still had to go through customs and baggage check before reaching my airplane. The cheerful young man looked over my vehicle and called me over to show a large white scrape across the left front corner of the car. Interestingly, it was the exact color of the wall leading up the ramp out of my Airbnb garage. I had hit the wall and didn’t even realize it. 

Meanwhile, he explained in great detail that because I hadn't filed a police report, I would be charged €1,000 but could fix the issue later. Ugh. I didn’t have time to argue or explain that this was the reason I paid for full coverage insurance, which cost me an arm and a leg. 

I hurried to customs, where I was about twenty-fifth in line. Time was running out. Luckily, an agent told several people they were in the wrong line, which moved me closer to the customs agent. I finally sailed through and headed to the baggage check area, where a miracle happened right before my eyes. There was no one in line, and it was right in front of my gate. God is good. I arrived just as my boarding group was boarding and took my seat in the “Comfort” section for the nine-hour trip to Detroit. 

Here's the point. I can choose to complain about my travel troubles, or I can flip the script. I live in 2025, which means I could quickly plan a week-long trip, 3,900 miles, from Pennsylvania to Germany, see my new grandchild, and return home safely— all in a week. Given the same situation, my grandmother would never have had that chance. Who knows how old her granddaughter was before she held her? 

Roll with the punches. Palm trees endure hurricanes because they bend in the wind. Hardwood trees snap under such conditions. Don’t be a hardwood.

As you read this, some of you are in the middle of life’s storms, maybe even a hurricane. Don’t worry too much. You will get through it and come out stronger on the other side. Plus, you’ll have interesting stories to share with your grandkids. By then, you might even turn those stories into hurricane survival tales. I can’t wait to tell little Gail how Pops weathered such hardships to come see her—probably a few years from now, of course!

Live Inspired!

Don Mark