Let's Discuss: Travel Reading

So I realized something on my mini 1-day vacation, I find it insanely hard to read when I am traveling! There are other factors to consider, 1 I am traveling insanely early, which the very reason why I always choose the insanely early flight happened, my first flight was delayed and caused the dominos to keep om falling on all my plans and connecting flights, but it all worked out and that's what matters! Traveling early pays...but then that also means I wake up ungodly early to make the insanely early flight and I'm just tired! But let's get onto the discussion!

Travel Reading

The great majority of the time I go to places, I travel solo as no one in my immediate life ever wants to go with me. I've no problem with that. But it does mean I need to be more hyper aware of my surroundings and such. Plus being a wee bit tired, I am not always wanting to read just yet when the plane (eventually) takes off. I kind of just zone out and rest but not actually sleeping because again, hyper aware of my surroundings and such.

I did eventually pick up my book on my connecting flight. It was later in the morning and I was more "awake." But reading in different and not entirely comfortable surroundings is tough! I tried using my iPod to listen to music to help drain out the other sounds but I was always to close to the wing of the plane in my seat choice and it just felt louder in that area and I had to really crank up my music and then that was just too loud as I didn't want to miss anything the pilot would say over the intercom since again, traveling solo and needing to be aware of my surroundings. 

I did a decent amount of reading on that second flight though and then on the flight home, my connecting flight I did a fair amount of reading as well. It's also hard because it's early in the morning and dark and I'm always hesitant to turn on my reading light above my head as I don't want to disturb my seat neighbors who more than likely take a little nap. I mean I know it doesn't shine in their face or anything, but I was like, ehhh, I don't want it to annoy them. Plus, it was the first flight so I was still in my I'm awake and conscious but please don't ask me complicated questions phase of things!

But travel reading is and always has been hard for me. I want to be aware of my surroundings and stay informed by the flight staff so I don't want to get too into my zone of reading. Then I usually shut my phone off entirely on the flight as I noticed airplane mode sucked out all the battery after my first flight and I was like crap, I still need that to have juice for when I land! So I was never really aware of the time and didn't want to have my book and such out when it comes time to land...yes, the flight staff eventually gives you that 15 minute warning or such, but you know, I wanted to be in a good stopping place as well!

It all worked out of course, so it was no worries. But yeah, I just find it insanely hard to read when traveling. Even when I get to my destination I usually don't get much reading done. For most vacations it could be a dawn to dusk kind of day with site seeing. For author signings, it can be more or less of the same thing and once the event of the day is over, I am just ready to crash. Especially when I go to bed at almost 11pm and have to wake up at 2am to be ready for my Uber to make my 5am flight! Lol. So yes, reading when traveling is very, very hard for me, but I managed a good chunk of pages, I think I got maybe 100 read over that 24 hour trip so not bad at all!

What about you? Do you get much reading done when traveling? Especially if you're traveling solo?