Lost in the Loo: Lessons Learned
On Tuesday morning, I jetlagged into the Heathrow airport in London. My newly adjusted watch said 10 a.m. but my sleep-deprived body screamed 3 a.m.
I had one goal when I left the plane and that was to find a bathroom. Or to visit the ‘loo’ as the British guy in front of me casually said while on the airplane. This brings me to the first of several unexpected things I noticed after visiting the London loo.
Disclaimer: I am not claiming to be an expert on British restrooms. I am only recounting my personal airport lay-over experience. No offense to London washrooms and such.
Lesson #1 Learned
British boys have an entirely unfair advantage.
Because of their British accent, practically anything a guy says comes across as romantic and gentlemanly. Even if he is only referencing cramped airplane bathrooms.
British accents may be an unfair advantage, but it is one that many American girls fall for (and Hollywood knows this).
Lesson #2 Learned
The loo is discreetly and expertly hidden .
After emerging from Immigrations, I wandered around the airport, still hunting for a bathroom. Despite multiple signs for the “toilet,” actual restroom doors were suspiciously MIA.
I’ve been in multiple American airports this year, and it’s never taken more than a few minutes to find a restroom.
But in Heathrow, it took me at least 20 minutes or more. No joke. I turned in circles through several perfume stores and lounges, trying to follow the signs for the restroom.
Many times two restroom signs would point in opposite directions. I’d start following one of them and unsuccessfully end up back in the same spot.
After winding my way around the main lounge room twice, I spotted a “toilet” sign pointing at what seemed to be a shady exit or hallway. I peeked inside and around the corner found the toilet room…at last.
Lesson #3 Learned
British airport stalls are roomy.
I know I’m generalizing, but the stalls were exaggeratedly roomy. Another stall or even a bathtub could have easily fit next to the toilet.
Each stall seemed to be almost as larger if not larger than the designated stalls for wheelchairs in the States.
Lesson #4 Learned
Hand dryers are invisible.
The hand dryers are located in unexpected, hidden places. This is something I had never seen in the States. In London, the hand dryer was hidden in a space below the mirror and above the sink.
A sign on the wall showed me where to put my hands. I stuck them under and hot air blasted down. In France, hand dryers were semi-hidden on the faucets themselves.
Conclusion
Every country you visit is wonderfully different (even every state and every town). These little things I noticed from a short visit to a British airport stuck out to me because they were out of place. They weren’t what I was used to.
The charm of traveling (in my opinion) is not just devouring the diverse cuisine or Instagraming the magnificent views, but encountering the different culture.
We may be used to one point of view and be comfortable with it, but if we never step out our front door then we won’t get a chance to see the world from the other side.
Look at life in a new way. Things can be culturally different without being wrong.
I am talking about cultural differences, not different ways to view truth.
I haven’t traveled nearly as much or as far as I will one day travel, but slowly I’m stretching out to new places and even new continents. You can still learn from a country even if you don’t step foot on their soil.
Someday soon I’m going to fly to Heathrow again and this time step outside into the gray-cloud city and learn from London itself, not just from the loo.
