365 Ways to Live Happy (16 page)

Hedge your bet that you'll get a good night's sleep when traveling. Remember to take along your favorite little travel pillow. It stuffs easily into a carry-on bag and can serve as a terrific insurance policy against sleepless nights. Traveling can sap your energy by various means, including jet lag. One of the best ways to beat jet lag is to get plenty of rest. When traveling on a business trip or family vacation, the choice of pillow in your hotel room or in the sleeping room of a ship or ferry or airplane may not be yours, but you can always pull out your favorite travel pillow and know that blissful sleep is only moments away.

When your train doesn't arrive on time or your flight is delayed, see opportunities. Get out your laptop or notepad and make a list of positive things that could come about because of the delay. Think of the delay as a blessing that gives you extra time to use in myriad ways. You could:

• Make some phone calls
  

• Catch up on paperwork
  

• Study a map
  

• Network with others
  

• Brainstorm some new adventures
  

• Write some postcards, e-mails, or even outline a book
  

If you've stayed in an apartment in Provence, a bed and breakfast in Belfast, or a small lodge in Kathmandu, show your appreciation to your host with a bouquet. If you want to make it really special, ask your host what his favorite colors and flowers are. Presenting a surprise bouquet to him upon your departure is bound to say more than your expressions of gratitude. The language of flowers speaks directly to the heart. Expect smiles.

You are traveling. Reset your gastronomic preferences. Get into the swing of things during your visit to a new place. Sample some of the local cuisine. Find a little restaurant that offers tapas or appetizers on a sampler plate and try all of them. In the United Kingdom, go for some pub grub and a pint. Ask the locals about tasty regional specialties in Greece, Turkey, and Morocco. In Belgium or Switzerland, tantalize your taste buds with some fine chocolate. Or for a really adventurous taste experience, try some haggis in Scotland and the pickled pig's feet of northern Spain. Experiment and have some fun doing it.

In Nepal, lying with the soles of your bare feet pointed at your host's head or images of the Divine is insulting. Likewise, if you are trekking or camping with Sherpa guides, don't cook meat over an open fire as they considered burning meat offensive to the gods. Before you take that next trip, buy a book that provides information about local customs so you won't risk facing a judge in a foreign land. When in doubt, always follow your in-country host's lead in terms of cultural behavior and local customs and you'll be fine.

Show a generosity of spirit to a weary or stressed-out fellow traveler by loaning her something she needs for her trip but has forgotten, such as sunscreen, an extra tube of toothpaste, an unopened package of earplugs, a sealed teabag, or a travel-size sewing kit. Your act of kindness could cement a joyful new friendship.

Be a good person. Get up, and with a smile, offer your seat on the bus, train, or subway to an elderly individual. It's the right thing to do. Think of the good karma you are generating. Old people are not as stable on their feet as they were in their youth. Vacate your seat and allow them the safety of sitting instead of holding onto a rail or strap over their heads, something you might easily do. You'll feel good just knowing that you showed an act of kindness to another. And you are a better person for having done it.

Strike up a conversation with someone you don't know but who looks interesting, is attractive, seems lost, or appears confused. Help out if the latter is the case. Perhaps you are traveling somewhere in the world where you've been before and know how the trains operate or which is the best way to get to the center plaza of the village or town. Others around may join in the conversation and, thus, you meet people in a group who may also be going your way. You never know until you open your mouth and engage others in conversation. Making friends on the road in new towns, villages, and cities can enrich your traveling experience.

If you notice a distressed visitor trying to figure out a map or the direction to his destination in an area familiar to you, offer to help him. Point him in the right direction. When you give directions, write them on a card or carefully explain the distances, turns, and notable landmarks. Communicate as clearly as possible. Nothing is more frustrating and, in some cases, frightening than to be lost in a new city or unfamiliar place. Be the person you would like to meet if that happened to you. Who knows? Your distressed traveler may be inspired by your kindness to one day help another in the same way. Remember that old adage about how one good turn deserves another. It's one way happiness can be spread.