How to Avoid Boredom, Travel Thursday

While in the dream world of travel blogs and Instagram accounts, not every flight and trip happens smoothly and quickly. Sometimes there are more hours of sitting and waiting than we would like to admit, and you have to do something to occupy your time. Sure, there are some people who can people watch for hours or nap in any position, but a lot of us do require something to entertain ourselves. This post will share my favourite ways to pass the time while waiting for planes, trains, shuttles, and anything else that might be running behind.



Magazines
This seems quite obvious- magazines are found everywhere in airport shops. However, I feel like a lot of us pass them by for our devices. The benefit of magazines is that if you do need to leave them behind to make room for something else, you only have to find a recycling bin. They are light and easily carried/thrown in a carry on bag, they are cheaper than books (for the most part), and you can spend a few hours reading about something that you might not want a full book on! I always grab a Hello! but I will also take a look at National Geographic and Vogue if I know that I have a long day of travel ahead of me! If you are travelling with other people, you might want to grab magazines that will appeal to everyone and allow you to share. Extra points: if you finish with a magazine, you would earn some extra karma if you offer it to other travellers! (Would your travel day not be brightened by a stranger offering you a magazine or book?)

Colouring
I know that trend forecasters are continually telling us that colouring is over and that stocks in bookstores are falling because of it, but I still love colouring. I think that it’s a fantastic way to keep yourself occupied while you are sitting, especially if you are like me and enjoy listening to audiobooks and podcasts. I bought this colouring mousepad from Indigo in Banff, and I think that it is absolutely perfect for travel. It is small and portable, and it is stiff and supported- you would have no issue colouring with it on your lap if there was no table available. It’s less than $10 CAD and has four different designs! There is open space if you want to doodle but enough detail to keep you occupied for a while. I prefer markers to pencil crayons, especially for travel- you don’t have to sharpen markers (and carry a pencil sharpener that might be confiscated)!

E-Reader/Book
I must say upfront- I read physical books and e-books, and I don’t care for articles and arguments proclaiming the “better reading experience” that you have with one or the other. Read a book in any format and enjoy it! I personally prefer e-readers for travel because I am a quick reader and I don’t want to have to carry 6-10 books with me- my Kobo can hold 3000+ books, the battery lasts for 3+ weeks of intensive reading, and as long as there is wifi I can add something new. Still, in either case of e-reader or book, think about it before you leave! Perhaps there is a book or an author that you’ve been wanting to try for a while, and now is the time to do it. Sitting on the tarmac while you wait in the line of planes who need their wings de-iced is the perfect time to get some quality reading done.

What do you do to pass the time when you travel? 
Until tomorrow,
The Historian!
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