Even though it’s no fun to catch a virus and fall sick when traveling, or get hurt in an accident, see it as an experience and think of what you can do to prevent the same think from happening in the future. Learn from it rather than complain about how bad you felt. Sure, it might make an amusing travel article or a good story to tell your friends over a beer at the pub — as long as you can look at it from the bright side. No one wants to hear about your travel mishaps when you’re angry and whining about how your trip turned into such a disaster… at least not me. Things can always be worse. And what doesn’t kill you, only makes you stronger.
I will never forget the first time I realized that traveling is not only a dance on roses. My mom, my sister and I were waiting next to a ski lift in the Swedish ski resort Åre. I felt I had skied enough that day, but my mom and sister convinced me to go for one last run with them.
I didn’t see him when it happened, only felt the crash followed by a strong pain in my back. Tumbling down the piste, I couldn’t make myself stop. Next thing I knew I lay motionless on the cold snow, vaguely hearing my mother yell at the twentysomething guy who had skied right into me. Eventually the paramedics came and drove me to the hospital.
According to a Swedish expert doctor on spinal injuries, they needed to put a halo on my head to fix my broken collar bone. A halo, also called a halo crown or halo ring, is a braze which stabilizes the cervical spine following a dislocation. Here’s a picture of a woman with a halo.
The night before my operation I was a bit scared, although I knew I would be under an anaesthetic and not feel a thing. Next morning, everything would be as usual they told me. Yeah right, except for a big halo on my head. But when I woke up the following day I couldn’t feel it.
Mom explained that my injury, in some strange way, had taken care of itself during the night and an operation was no longer necessary. The doctors called it somewhat of a miracle. Happy I only needed to use a neck restraint for a couple of weeks, and not a halo, we left the hospital the same day.
Apart from that skiing accident when I was seven, a sprained wrist from snowboarding in Norway a few years ago and a broken arm during a surfing trip on Lanzarote, I’ve been pretty lucky. My worst travel experience (so far) occurred during a hotel stay in London last August when I for some inexplicable reason got a terrible food sickness. Fortunately I was back to normal the next day.
How about you? What’s your worst travel experience?
Possibly related posts:
I don’t know that I’ve had any major injury like that away from home – the extend of my terrible travels are when I get stuck in airports, get dropped of by a cab in the middle of the night in India (at the wrong place), or go to New Jersey.
Hey thanks for coming over to my site. I’m going to compile a link of travel blogs and include yours.. (maybe u’ll include mine lol)
When you got on blogflux, where did you find the code for their tracker button. I can’t seem to get the code i have to show a number….
Hi, I found it on my profile page at http://www.blogflux.com/usercp.php There you can get the stats codes as well as the ‘link to us’ button.
What’s so terrible about going to New Jersey?
I’m with foxnomad – I’ve never had any sort of injury while traveling (except blisters) but I always seem to find the absolute weirdest weather. For example, I’ll go to a place known for say, water, and I’ll get a once in 100 year drout (England) or a place known for cold and I’ll get 90*f heat (Ireland) or something like that.
My worst travel experience though was when I ended up in England and it happened to be the Queen’s 50th aniversary of her rule. And therefore an unscheduled BANK HOLIDAY FOR EVERYONE. I couldn’t get a room anywhere, and everything was crowded. And this was in the off season! So I’ll just have to go back.
My worst travel experience was when I missed my connection flight in Vancouver, going through Australia (but stopping in Hawaii) because of the American customs that held me for an hour, and they made other people pass before me.
I love travelling to the U.S. but because of that experience I am too afraid to go back.
For some reason every time I go there I encounter some type of craziness, strange people, and smells.
Suz, I totally get that England was your worst travel experience. As for the weather, perhaps you can consider yourself lucky to get to experience something unusual
Anto, Missing a flight is not fun. I remember when I missed my flight to Stockholm from Heathrow in London (I fell asleep!) and had to wait over 5 hours for the next. But I couldn’t really blame anyone else than myself. I can understand it must be a lot worse when it’s because of the customs when you can’t do anything about it.
Only thing worse than a Halo is a full-scale medical corset.
You are a very lucky man.
Erica,
I’d have to say vietnam…those three were awful. people were just so rude!
I also linked your blog in my site. If you mind, I’ll take you out of the links section.
Matt
Michael,
I’m not a very lucky man
I’m a very lucky woman.
Matt,
People were rude in Vietnam? That surprises me, because up till now I’ve only heard good things about the country and the people.
I don’t mind that you’ve linked to BT. I think I speak for all bloggers when I say that we love links.
I also thought that people in the southeast were very polite, at least that what I hear form people who were traveling there.
Anyway my worst travel experience were flying with Tarom, the Romanian air service. Bad service, badly cleaned and overall a “shaky” experience.
I’ve had a few bad travel experiences-both in the USA as it happens. The first one was an unfortunate incident with a nose ring – I decided to get a piercing while I was working in the USA and it actually fell inside my nose- I kid you not! I had to have my nose split open and get the piercing removed. it was very painful and the cream I got to heal it turned my nose balck! Then a few months later, on the same trip, I got Lymes disease and was back in the same hospital. I had never even been to an emergancy room before that trip and in the space of 3 months, was there twice! did not ruin my trip by any means though, as you say it can only make you stronger!
@CarGuru, That sounds really really painful. I guess you’re staying away from piercings in the future, no?
Most definitely! Especially in foreign countries!
Anyone should post their bad traveling experiences at dontgothere.org and really get the message out.
@Ixck, Good idea!
I am feeling very fortunate about my travelling experiences after reading these comments! I have probably put all of the bad ones out of my head, and just recall all of the kind and helpful people that seem to appear where ever I go. I loved the people of Denmark, found the people in Ireland to truly live up to their reputation (including the part about Guiness), adored the formality and wonderful sense of humor of the English, and was absolutely blown away by the gorgeous smiles of the people of South Africa. Inspite of what can only be described as harsh conditions, they seem to be quick to find a reason to smile.
One one trip to Denmark, I was taken to a group outing in which I was advised that I would really like it, the activities were the kinds of things we did in America. It turned out to be a totally recreated Western somewhere close to Copenhagen complete with mechanical bulls, people in cowboy outfits, and a barbeque menu. It was quite funny.