There is some truth to the saying that time flies, especially when you are living out of a suitcase and spending way too much time in the airport trying to figure out how to maneuver what can best be described as the never ending lines of storms that inevitably wreak havoc on the entire airspace across the US, especially the East Coast.

After a few weeks off of the road, I have been able to finally step back and reorient myself to a life of staying in one place for more than a few nights. During this time I have been able to reflect where I’ve been and realize what I don’t want, because it is sometimes easier to realize what you don’t want than wasting time playing the guessing game of what you don’t.

What I DO NOT want, the short list:

• A life full of no laughter. Laughter is really the best medicine. It can turn a otherwise really shitty situation into a more manageable one. One of my favorite ways to stay sane on the road is to seek out comedy shows and/or movies. Thanks to some pre planning and some lucky timing, during the early part of this year got the opportunity to see some of my favorite Queens on the road. [ Bianca Del Rio, The Haters Roast (Jinkx Monsoon, Trixie Mattle, Thorgy Thor, William, Latrice Royle, Trinity Taylor, and Ginger Minj), and Trixie Mattle’s Moving Parts tour. ] If you have never been to a drag show, I would highly recommended it, especially, just to go and support your local favorite Queens.
• To spend more time in the airport than I absolutely have to. Thanks to acquiring a high enough airline status, I am able to standby for free, and almost always get the last seat on the plane. I have admittedly spent more time WILLINGLY in middle seats these past four months than I have in the past 10 years of being on the road. In the end, it has allowed me time with friends and family. That extra time is worth it.
• To be stuck without a plan B. Status, flexibility/knowledge of routing, and being a nice person in general goes a long way when $hit hits the fan. All travelers have their own routing strategies. For example, I try to avoid ATL starting early spring due to storms; DTW/MSP/ORD during the winters;JFK/EWR/LGA are a crap shoot, especially, Sunday, Thursday, and Friday afternoon, etc. That being said, 2018, has been a continuous nightmare due to weather.4
• To not make time for friends and family. Everyone has $hit to do and it can be easy to say “maybe next time…”. I am more guilty of this than I care to admit; however, after realizing that some next times are never going to happen, I realize that I need to make more of an effort and priority my time better and say NO to arbitrary crap that won’t matter so much in the end.
• To not recognize my own city. It’s amazing how many great places can open and close before you even get the chance to know/see what’s going on. Even if it’s just a quick walk around or stopping in a new coffee shop, I really should know more of what’s going on where I live than someone visiting for the weekend.

As time goes on, I’m sure the list will get longer, but in the mean time, I look forward to having sometime off the road and await my next adventure.