When was a time while traveling that you had to just roll with it?
There is no such thing as a “perfect trip.” Despite the best-laid plans, sometimes it just doesn’t meet your expectations. Much of your time will be in the hands of others: you’re not flying the plane, or driving the taxi or train, or cooking the meal. And sometimes, Mother Nature is a salty bitch. (It’s cliché, but no, you cannot stop the rain.)
None of this means that your trip is or has to be a total loss. A good attitude, adaptability and kindness are important tools: not everything will go according to plan, so how will you roll with it?
The first step: know thyself. What can you handle if things go wrong on a trip? How will you react or behave when the situation is completely out of your hands?
This happens on location, like a day trip in 2024 from London to Suffolk to interview artist Maggi Hambling, CBE for The WTAF Show. We arrived at Liverpool Station for a 9a train, but it was shut down. So we rolled with it. It wasn’t perfect, it was raining, we had zero setup time, our day budget was blown on a Mercedes and we arrived with one literal minute to spare to interview Maggi at Scallop, her controversial Aldeburgh Beach sculpture.
I watch that episode and could easily pick it apart: bad hair, the wind and wet, the lilt of stress in my voice, my clear intensity (good thing Matt, my camera director, is so chill).
Instead, I choose to remember the joy of spending an hour in the rain with my favorite living artist. The beauty of a stormy, ancient beach. A glorious sculpture I finally saw IRL. And I treasure one hilarious off-camera memory: our one-minute sprint from full pints at the Ipswich station pub to the doors closing on the last train back to London.
Self-confidence, attitude and humility are most definitely tested when you travel. Still prepare, but just accept that your plans will never be perfect.
And hey: If you want to see my own checklist for planning a trip—and some of my tips for how to roll with it—visit our website, https://thewtafshow.com.
Here’s to a great trip.
KG