My take on how airline travel acts as a neutralizer for human manners, plus a quick review of where I am at with 2026 goals, and a few things that have been bringing me joy this month.
Hello all, welcome to my first take of 2026. I am on the road today, writing to you all from Atlanta Hartsfield Airport/somewhere above middle America after waking at 3:45 a.m. to catch a flight out of Burlington, VT to Denver, CO. I have a national meeting for work, and will be away from home until Friday.
While sitting on my first flight from Burlington to Atlanta (2.5 hours), I realized I had left my Oura Ring at home when I put moisturizer on before I left. I feel naked without it. How am I supposed to know how I slept? If I’m getting sick? Honestly, if I feel this bothered and naked without it, I could use a break from the body data.
Air Travel Neutralizes Our Moods for Better or Worse
Today, I am choosing to share my take on what I’ve observed in the thirty minutes I’ve been sitting at my gate as well as my first flight of the day: despite how well or ill-mannered you were raised, how politely or rudely you go about your daily life, it all goes out the window when you travel.
I am standing on the fact that air travel levels the playing field for all of us, no matter our background or what side of the bed we woke up on. Everything from a poor experience at security, to the line at TSA pre-check being longer than general check-in, or the barista comping you a coffee, impacts us. The minute annoyances or moments of gratitude add up across one’s travel experience, and these micro (and, let’s face it, sometimes macro) occurrences can cause us to turn into a version of ourselves we do not recognize for better or worse.
I saw it today when deplaning - regional differences in mannerisms across the USA disappear. That sweet middle-aged woman from Alabama becomes as pushy and aggressive as a twenty-two-year-old boy or a thirty-something businessman from New York, especially if they’ve got a connection to make. Forget the old lady in 19C! Those three have practically bowled her over trying to get past her in the aisle while she gets her bag out of the overhead compartment.
The queues to board often have a palpable anxious energy which I am hard-pressed to find elsewhere. People that wouldn’t dream of standing in a line to wait for a hot dog or cookie at the latest hot spot are all of a sudden loitering like a heroin addict waiting for their dealer to pull up. When their zone is called, they check people out of the way with their bags; families, old folks, and pets, no one is safe.
So what causes the pendulum of decency to make such radical swings during air travel? I believe this can largely be attributed to things being beyond our control. We cannot control the people we are surrounded by, how long lines are for security, coffee, or the bathroom. We can’t control the turbulence on the flight, or how long we are stuck on the tarmac for.
Additionally, I think the “micro-occurrences” we experience during travel largely play into this as well. For example, if you read my post about solo-parent travel to NYC, my flight back was what I would call a negative experience (read more here), but a slate of “micro-occurrences” made it a much more positive one, and outweighed the larger negatives at play. This kindness and generosity I was shown may come from others reflecting on their own experiences when seeing others struggle and remembering what that was like for them, or it could be genuine kindness and empathy. Either way, the experience is what we make it.
Perhaps a lot of it has to do with mindset, and choosing to see the cup half full vs. half empty. I stand by the fact that if you stack enough stones, you have to start walking up the hill, so why make it more difficult? Control what you can, surrender to what you can’t, and try to pay forward kindness when you can.
Really curious to get others’ thoughts on this. Do you all feel the same about travel? Am I the only one that feels like it is a great neutralizer? Let me know in the comments.
2026 Goals Check In
I made a set of goals specific to January. A quick update on where we are at below:
Being Kind: I think I have held to this pretty well. Over the last year as a whole, I feel like I’ve become less prickly, but I’m always a work in progress!
E-commerce Break: I haven’t bought anything online - save things I’ve subscribed to (see vitamins/diapers/toilet paper/dog food/etc). As a result, I’m turning more to local outlets for my retail fix (mostly clothing this month).
Exercise/Movement: I could be doing better at this. I fell off the wagon this last week after some pressure from my job to get in front of customers more. Business over health (kidding)! I just need to reprioritize this and find balance with my schedule. This is easier said than done.
As for the other items on my list, I have made progress on a few:
30 Books: I am halfway through my 4th book of the year. Rob is on a tear reading, and it has been nice having another reader in the house. I think it is making me a competitive reader! All in good fun, of course.
Scotland: booked my flights to Glasgow for the end of February and bought tickets for the concert. For the first time since Caspers’ arrival, I am going to have the chance to breathe and feel like ORIGINAL MELANIE for a few days. This will be good for everyone in the household.
Gratitude: I’ve been journaling most nearly every day (I think I may have missed 3-4 days so far this year). Each day has 3 points of gratitude, and I’m enjoying this exercise.
Coffee before Water: I’m 50/50 on this. I remember water before coffee half the time!
Puff Pastry: I made a Galette des Rois last weekend, and am planning to do another this coming weekend with some improvements. Is it weird I find making puff pastry easier than making bread?
As for the more “abstract” goals, I’m still working on ramping up to begin those. I am hoping to have lots more to say on that come this time next month.
Things Bringing Me Joy
To end things on a light note, I wanted to share some things that are bringing me joy this month.
I bought some new pants, including these Moussy Vintage jeans. I love them. I am wearing them as I type this. I also bought a pair of Palazzo trousers in a denim-y looking hemp fabric from Emerson Fry. Both these items came from Jane Boutique, in Williston, VT. They just opened up back in October of 2025.
Reading! I’m currently in the middle of Heart the Lover by Lily King, I read a book of short stories called Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami, A memoir by Keith McNally - I Regret Almost Everything, and earlier this month I finished Misery, by Stephen King.
Thinking about spring/summer and moving. I am so looking forward to change.
That’s all folks. Please let me know what you think by hitting the heart, or commenting below. Xx