This is kinda cool.

At least I think so.  Are you like me?
Are you the person who constantly hears friends and acquaintances regal you with the tails of how/when they were upgraded?  Have you noticed that those types always seem to have more than one story of when/how they were upgraded?  You sit there, just like I do and wish, just once, that it was you that managed to get upgraded.

I remember getting sage advice from a traveller who had managed to get flight upgrades on more than one occasion.

They told me that I simply had to ask.

Now I’m thinking at that point ‘your kidding me’.  They assure me that really that is all you have to do and nine times out of ten you will be given an upgrade.  Particularly if you are travelling alone.

So I tried it.  Many times.  It’s never worked, at least for me.  That is not saying that it will not work for you if you try it.  I will say if you do try it and it works I’d really appreciate it if you’d let me know!

I remember one time in Deli, India when confirming details of my flight home the very helpful lady asked if there was anything else she could do to help (the issue being sorted was created by the airline not me)  I smiled and said that an upgrade would be nice….

She laughed and said ‘No seriously is there anything else I can do for you’......... sigh.  In just about anyone else’s world the circumstances would have rated an upgrade, or so I’m told.

Still, finally after all these years I’ve finally been given an upgrade.  One that I didn’t ask for.  Ok so it’s not a flight.

You may remember I booked my ‘nice nights’ on arrival at the Shangri-La in Bangkok?  Well I received an email the other day informing me that they had upgraded me to their new Krungthep Wing at no extra charge.  Of course I accepted. 

Still I’m wondering how they are going to cope with two backpackers walking into the ‘Private Reception’, and all the other areas since I really will not have anything even remotely resembling ‘business/good casual’ type ware.

At the end of the day I’m starting to really look forward to this trip despite the fact that it is only to Thailand, which I’ve never really been interested in going to (lets face it.  It’s close to home and over run with tourists/travelers).  Still I have only four days of work left before I’m officially on leave.  Two odd weeks before I leave the country.  I’m really looking forward to getting on that plane.

How can I explain?

Not sure I really can, if you are not inclined towards travel.

It’s been twelve months since I’ve departed my home country.  Soon.  Very soon.  That little struggle will commence. 

The one where I fight with the impulse to throw a rude finger sign to work and quite simply not return. Run off into this amazing and diverse world we live in, to explore and wander through for an undetermined length of time. Or if I decide to return to the daily grind one more time. 

Lets face it if you’ve been bitten by the travel bug it is a constant struggle.