Yes. An experienced traveller, that's what I consider myself, despite all the inabilities I posses, such as the inability to write my birth date correctly in a visa application form. I am still willing and able to help people at airports everywhere (and yes - there's always at least one person on my flight freaking out about something and I'm always willing to tell them where to go, what to do... or go there with them).
Despite all the flights I've been on and all these things, I think I might be least organized traveller ever. But I usually don't get stressed out about it, so I just continue being disorganized. I never pack earlier than the night before leaving. And printing tickets is sometimes a waste of time...
Like when I was leaving Pittsburgh. After telling everyone I'm flying to JFK and then Prague, I found out - a week before my flight - that I'm actually flying to Detroit (I actually kept saying Denver, which made no sense), Frankfurt and then Prague. Fine. I didn't pack until the day I was leaving. Yes, my excuse was that it was finals week. But come on, I wouldn't have packed earlier even if I had a week vacation to do that.
B. offered to drive me to the airport, so I told P. we'd pick him up at 9 am. And since it was the finals week and my last final was Thursday night, I couldn't but join everyone in the bar after that to get rid of all the tension accummulated during the finals. After coming home late, I decided to set my alarm clock for 7:30 so that I can pack. And then I fell asleep. Apparently, there was nothing between the decision-making process and falling asleep. I simply didn't set the alarm clock. I woke up at 6 am with a headache that was bad enough to make me get up and get some water. So I did and looked at my cell phone only to find out that I never set my alarm clock!!! Who'd think I'd ever be grateful for a hangover? :-)
So in the end I really did set the alarm clock and I woke up at 7:30. I managed to wake up B. (2 phone calls :-)) and I managed to pack. We picked up P. a little late but we made it to the airport on time... Sounds ok, right? But there was more forgetting on my part.
Security control. How many times have I been through those? (Yes - how many times have I written down my birthday and still was able to get it wrong when it really mattered?) I was annoyed by the fact that we still need to take off shoes (no need to do that in Europe anymore), but the fact that almost no liquids are allowed didn't bother me at all, apparently. The line stops and everyone, including me, wonders why. Here's why: I had a bottle full of water in my backpack. So I had to take it, go back, get rid of the water, take off my shoes again, go through the security again... P. waiting for me, clapping his hands when I got back, saying: "Bravo! One more time!" :-)
And later... P.: "So I almost forgot that I need to have the I20 form signed before I leave the country. I remembered it this morning and so I left it with K. to have it signed and mail it to me." - Me: "Signed?!!!!" Yes... No - I didn't forget to get it signed. I forgot that I needed to get it signed. So there I am - at the airport with the I20 that is completely useless. It still didn't freak me out, though, and I still believe things are gonna be fine and I'll be allowed back in the country. The fact, that we got to Frankfurt late and there was no way to find out from which gate my flight to Prague was leaving because there was nobody to ask, didn't freak me out either. I was calm. I took a girl with me who flew for the first time and was having the same problem and kept telling her we're gonna be fine despite the huge line ahead of us. We were fine.
I'm thinking - does being an experienced traveller mean that the only thing that can freak me out is losing my passport? But would it freak me out because it's a travel-related trouble, or because I just love my passport with all the stamps so much? :)
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