Less Is More
In just three lines and 17 syllables, our
readers capture a lifetime of travel experiences.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY BARRY BLITT
Packing for the trip
Anticipating my needs
I forgot my shoes.
- Jillien Cruse, Chicago, Illinois
Your seat will define
Exactly who you are now
Exit-row aisle.
- John Fruehe, Austin, Texas
Time equals my life
Productivity is key
Use seconds wisely.
- Stephen Johnson, Bloomington,
Illinois
All my good socks gone
Shoes come off for the X-ray
Toe holes walk of shame.
- Ronnie Perkins, Crandall, Texas
Laptop,
Starbucks, cell
Ziplocs, Benadryl to sleep
iPod: My weapons.
- Anne Buchholz, Las Cruces, New
Mexico
Oh, humanity
Ten months, 23 countries
With new eyes I see.
- Jeff Labhart, Tillamook, Oregon
Mom said reach for stars
So I spend most my time at
Thirty thousand feet!
- Gretchen Bieber, Chicago,
Illinois
Japanese to learn
Six thousand miles yet to go
Sleep a distant dream.
- Joseph Hebert, Frisco, Texas
Flying all around
Teaching about climate change
Paradox for sure.
- Brendan Owens, Alexandria,
Virginia
Each day is a gift
Appreciate each moment
Don't sweat the small stuff.
- Jason Kaufman, Great Neck, New York
Silence is golden
In my hotel room at night
Read, snooze, turn off light.
- Vince Ellwood, Dallas, Texas
Soar to new places
Where we learn from new people
And touch others too.
- Ronald Overmann, San Francisco,
California
Cruel polarity!
For crying babies on board
I am the magnet.
- Keith Saks, Coral Gables, Florida
Mighty baggage claim
My suitcase; be the first
one
For all to envy.
- James Lee, San Francisco, California
Work hard, play hard, right?
But why do I want to play
With my coworkers?
- Ryan Orsini, Irvine, California
Sad to leave the kids
But all will be forgiven
If I bring presents.
- Alan Jenkins, Brooklyn, New York
There's a beer in hand
In a comfy first-class seat
Better than traffic.
- Patrick McEvoy, Dallas, Texas
Happiness is this
Your name on the upgrade list
At the very top.
- Mark Rickards, Flower Mound, Texas
Airport gate seating
Brings to mind Marquis de Sade
Love Admirals Club.
- William Bryden, Conway, Arkansas
Travel, what a pain
To get from place A to B
Teleport me, please.
- Dude Poole, Hilliard, Ohio
In commuter strife
My car goes nowhere; my
mind
travels round the globe.
- Christine Rasmussen, Brandywine,
Maryland
Peregrinating
With wings, skyward loft
Landing, grounded, home.
- Mark Dvornik, Lewisville, Texas
Security line
I move fast, why don't you too?
Road warriors speed.
- Allison Watson, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Plane, train, car, boat, bus
Are second homes for people
Who are you and me.
- Peter Emminger, Beacon, New York
It is midnight here
I wake up I know not where
I fall over chair.
- Mark Gibbons, Lone Tree, Colorado
Missed her game again
Only a few days this time...
Heartache. Single mom.
- Vickie Goto, South Pasadena,
California
Belt, shoes, jacket off
Scan me, pat me, arms spread out
Run, gate, wait, I shout.
- Teresa Hilligoss, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Where is my luggage?
Which country am I in now?
And what is the time?
- Timothy Denehy, McKinney, Texas
True road warriors
Wake in exciting new worlds
While dreaming of home.
- James Widergren, Cerritos,
California
Hotel room first night
Wake in middle of the night
Can't find the bathroom.
- Joel Henning, Chicago, Illinois
Why limit yourself?
Humiliation worldwide
That should be your goal.
- Karl Coleman, Boston, Massachusetts
Did I switch time zones?
Checking in or checking out?
Where am I today?
- Daniel McCoy, Fort Collins, Colorado
Manic, the search for
A free power outlet at
Many an airport.
- Jane Raynandi, New York, New York
Three hundred hotels
In eighteen months, seems only
The shampoo changes.
- William Radosevich, Minneapolis,
Minnesota
Serendipity
Road warrior's code word for
Having a great time.
- Nancy Beyer, Marengo, Iowa
My life at airports Just found out, first-class upgrade Vodka soda, please. — Eric Viele, Austin, Texas