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The first time that I went to San Francisco, I booked my hotel online and chose the cheapest one that I could find. I’ll leave it nameless to protect the guilty, but this hotel was horrid. First of all, it was a walk-up. Secondly, the room wasn’t even off of the main hall of rooms; I had to go through an emergency exit (the alarm didn’t ring) to a door in the stairway. The room was so narrow that I could touch both walls at the same time. I kid you not. There were shared bathrooms, and I noticed while showering that the people on the floor above mine could see directly in to my shower. When my phone rang, all of the outlets and lights buzzed.

It sounds like an awful hotel, but I’ve always been adept at finding humor in places like that. It wasn’t terrifically uncomfortable, the staff was friendly and the diner down below the hotel had great cheap coffee. It was within walking distance to major transportation and attractions. And it’s not like I was hanging out in the hotel much anyway; it was just a place to rest my head. Besides, the hotel itself made for a great travel story when I got back from the city.

I’m not advocating that you stay at awful places where you’re actually uncomfortable. But my point is that if you can see your travel situations as filled with character and humor, rather than hassles, you open yourself up to a much better travel experience. You are able to room at a discounted hotel because you don’t mind the quirks; they’re part of the travel tale for you. You can sit in the airport an extra three hours to get a cheaper flight on standby because you enjoy the people-watching. Much of travel is in our attitudes; if you can keep your eye on the silliness of situations, you can enjoy the experience that much more.

(photo via flickr cc)