BLOGPOST #8: TRAVEL RITUALS

Those of us who travel regularly have their own rituals and superstitions. There are things that we must do, whether we’re taking a hour-long flight to New York City or traveling to the other side of the world. These rituals and superstitions came up during a recent chat I had on Twitter. I recently had to fly to Cagayan de Oro for a family trip. I made the offhand tweet that I always touch the aircraft fuselage as I board a flight. I don’t know why, but I was amazed at the number of my Twitter followers do the exact same thing. Another thing is I cannot travel without creating and printing my packing list. It keeps me organized and I have a complete inventory on the off chance that the airlines lose my luggage. I make sure my bottles of hand sanitizer and hand lotion are full, and that I have an adequate supply of cough drops (none are better for dry airplane throat, in my opinion) and mints. I have ibuprofen, hand lotion, Claratin, band-aids and 2 portable Wisp toothbrushes. I also keep my handy-dandy baby wipes packed. I must have the aisle seat, because I can’t stand being boxed in. I make sure all my electronics are charged and that I carry AA and AAA batteries. I don’t make a move without my Sharper Image noise-cancelling headphones. Those are just some of my travel rituals but sometimes I question myself why do people feel the need to comply?

While I was doing my research, I stumbled upon an article by Franceska Gina entitled "Why Rituals Work" from www.scientificamerican.com, it explained that people facing situations that induce anxiety typically take comfort in engaging in preparatory activities, inducing a feeling of being back in control and reducing uncertainty. While a little extra preparation seems perfectly reasonable, people also engage in seemingly less logical behaviors in such situations.

"What travel rituals probably do psychologically is help an individual release some of that anxiety and remind them of the safety and comfort of their home," says Scott Tracy, an assistant professor in Chatham College's counseling psychology department.

Rituals seem to be an important part of a lot of people's travel experience. For me I find that it grounds me, allows me to decompress from my stresses and look forward to the trip ahead. Having a prescribed list of things to do before embarking on a trip may seem contrived, but it can be efficient and effective in smooth sailing. Travel rituals — like all rituals — satisfy our need to feel safe, to establish a link to something, and to connect back into our personal, and familiar, lives. And the best part is, in many ways they enrich our lives by bringing us closer or creating a satisfying event. However, what really qualifies as a ritual?

According to an article entitled "Travel Rituals Provides Influence" by L.A. Johnson from www.knoxnews.com, travel rituals can be any behavior exhibited more or less automatically or out of compulsion, whether it serves a genuine purpose or not. Many of us do it subconsciously.