I've Been Lucky Enough To Fly To

To Me, It's Simple: If You've Got The Time, Use It To Get Ready. What Else Could You Possibly Have To Do That's More Important? Yes, Maybe You'll Learn How To Do A Few Things You'll Never Wind Up Actually Needing To Do, But That's A Much Better Problem To Have Than Needing To Do Something And Having No Clue Where To Start.

There's Really Just One Thing I Can Control: My Attitude During The Journey, Which Is What Keeps Me Feeling Steady And Stable, And What Keeps Me Headed In The Right Direction. So I Consciously Monitor And Correct, If Necessary, Because Losing Attitude Would Be Far Worse Than Not Achieving My Goal.

Do Your Homework In Advance About The Actual Travel Details So Transportation Issues Do Not Define Your Holiday.

Still, I Also Know That Most People, Including Me, Tend To Applaud The Wrong Things: The Showy, Dramatic Record-setting Sprint Rather Than The Years Of Dogged Preparation Or The Unwavering Grace Displayed During A String Of Losses. Applause, Then, Never Bore Much Relation To The Reality Of My Life As An Astronaut, Which Was Not All About, Or Even Mostly About, Flying Around In Space.

Early Success Is A Terrible Teacher. You're Essentially Being Rewarded For A Lack Of Preparation, So When You Find Yourself In A Situation Where You Must Prepare, You Can't Do It. You Don't Know How.