The Joys of Arriving Early

Getting to the airport really early makes every other choice work better. (More time to maneuver). -- Chris Brogan

Chris flys for business, while my travel is mostly personal. But I'm also a get-to-the-airport-early person - ridiculously early, according to some friends. But there are so many unknowns:

- If I'm taking a taxi, will it show up on time?

- What will traffic be like? If I'm leaving from home, will there be a tie-up on one of the few roads out of my coastal town?

- How long will the lines be at the airport? Will I be selected for a go-through-the-luggage security check?

I find I'm just much less stressed if I leave for the airport with plenty of time to spare. At the San Francisco airport, I have my routines, which include a nice relaxed meal; we are blessed with some very nice dining options, especially in the international terminal.

And the same thing applies to other appointments, although I don't leave quite as much slack time as with the airport. I leave extra time for getting lost (if I'm going someplace new - even though I rarely get lost), for finding parking (if I'm going to San Francisco), and for getting held up in traffic. When I don't leave early, and cut things too closely, I sit in my car fretting about every long light I hit; that's no fun!

If always have something to read in the car with me, so if I arrive early, I can put the time to good use.

Organizer Janine Adams recently wrote about her new philosophy of arriving early. She said that "Stress vanished. It felt so good not to be rushed." To which I say, amen.

[photo by aka_zoe / Lori W, licensed under Creative Commons]