As Filipinos we are blessed with being short. Don’t get me wrong, I love my size and I wouldn’t have it any other way! But here are a few things I noticed, that only individuals our size experienced while travelling.
Unreachable overhead compartments
First off, the plus side of being short while travelling is that airplane rides are usually a comfortable fit. The downfall is that the only way you can reach the overhead compartment is by climbing onto the chairs like you’re in a jungle gym. You’ve always envied the luxury of being tall and being able to place a carry-on bag into a compartment at eye level, because for you, it’s like reaching for the top of Everest. More often than not, you just place it under the seat in front of you, almost ruining the point of having extra legroom – but luckily for you, it barely even affects you.
Getting “lost” in crowds
You’ll always hear your name being called out followed by a “Hey! Where are you?” when traveling through densely packed crowds with tall friends. The sad reality of it all is that you’re usually no more than a foot away, and they’ll be turning around in circles wondering where you are, when all they had to do was tilt their head down a few degrees.
Oversized Everything
A fun thing to do while travelling to a foreign country is to buy cultural garments or clothing items to wear; as if to blend in with the locals. As you wander around the local market you spot heaps of potential blouses or dresses, but everything you find is too big or uncomfortably awkward. The sleeves are too long, the torso is gigantic, or the pants you find are dragging behind you like a train. Unfortunately for you, an adult “small” anywhere you go is never really an adult small. Maybe it’s time to revisit the children’s section.
Friendly giants, aka vision obstructers
Whether you’re trying to read train departure times at a train station or attempting to watch your favorite band at a music festival, there is always going to be someone much taller than you obstructing your view. Just like your friends who “can’t see you” and think they’ve lost you in the crowd, this rather tall individual is as well unaware of your presence. You find yourself jumping on your toes and weaving in and around a forest of tall humans with hopes of finding a better angle to view whatever it is you need. But if neither of these tactics work, you could always resort to asking that big friendly giant to describe what it is you can’t see.