So it’s 5.30am in Columbus Ohio. I’m using the free WiFi on my iPad while waiting for my 5.50 boarding. Wearing my backpack, sling back, travel coat and 2 layers I feel like a pack mule. I’ve just bought breakfast and am sitting here mulling on a variety of thoughts.

So I travelled 120,000 miles on planes last year. I know how to travel well. What’s interesting is the small change in routines. My last step on stepping onto planes that I do weekly before leaving the house is – Do I have my phone and my Wallet. With those 2 things I can survive anything in my business travel. Today, I have a wallet with only 1 Credit card in it, a AAA card and my United 1K card in case I need to show my star alliance status on return from Quito. Not having the phone is a shock. I probably would have replied to 5 emails by now, surfed the web and read some stupid articles. I would be listening to a podcast while I ate my breakfast.

Instead I am in in my own head, conscious of the differences in travel and expectation. People have asked me what I would do with my cellphone when I retire – I’ve always replied that I would move back to a flip phone because for me my smartphone embodies and electronic leash. It’s negotiating a contract while in Costa Rica, dealing with an outage in Toronto. It’s a reminder that when it rings I’m always on. I never considered how much I use it to also avoid time in my own head.

I am aware that some privilege I automatically travel with – I was just moved to first class on the United flight to Dulles.

This was followed by boarding a Copa airlines flight to Panama City, Panama. I was sitting in the middle seat in row 29 between 2 Latin ladies. Let’s just say it was tight considering my shoulder span. They served breakfast on the flight but by the time it got to me my choice was waffle. Waffle – lol. How do I know there had been other options because the lady next to me on the aisle was eating sausage and omelette the woman on my left got the choice of waffle or nothing. Omelete ended just before me. Lol. The universe is full of irony!

The lady to my left was returning to Bolivia having evacuated during the recent troubles and was a Hispanic American (born Usa) who had married a Bolivian who after spending his life in the USA was -I am going back to Bolivia. She has lived there 2 years and is not so sure about it.

I knew on the flight We’d started to move to Latin culture. Diet Coke changed to coca cola light only. Latin time had started to kick in because it took us 45 mins to board and 45 minutes to Deboard. Panama City is a lovely 80F which I would have enjoyed more if I wasn’t wearing 3 layers for Quito. The airport had the smell of humidity and ocean that I associate with islands and the Costa Rica coast. It triggered lots of memories. We boarded a respectable 45 mins late with no announcements, in fact the herd to boarding had started before announcing it. This was not any surprise. At this point I was so sweaty I had no problem sliding into a row 25 window seat. I only technically had 20 mins between flights so I was not able to get water or snacks which was a struggle. Waffle doesn’t hold you.

I was able to message using WiFi in Panama airport to let people know I was a little over halfway.

The flight to Quito was less packed, and a nice packet of Spanish chips and a chicken roll and I arrived.

Laura who picked me up at the entrance to the airport spoke very little English and her husband in the car spoke none so I was thrust into Spanish!!! When I got to the home stay they have 2 children who speak some English and they have several other Ecuadorian students living there who don’t. I am headfirst into the Spanish abenture!!!

I have a little apartment to myself for one day and my own room. It’s Costa Rica rules – no drinking from the taps, no flushing toilet paper so nothing new there 🙂