Traveling as a Clown

Dressed and ready for fun at the Madison Airport

As I prepared for my trip to Georgia/Armenia, I contemplated whether to dress up as a clown or not for the travels. In my past trips I dressed happily and enjoyed traveling as such. However, it had been 6 years since my last trip and self doubt has crept in. Could I still make people laugh, smile, and feel comfortable with a clown around. You don't want to be walking down the aisle of your plane and overhear "I hope I don't have to sit next to some clown on this flight". Plus, many things have changed in the past 6 years, and I actually pondered if it was safe to travel this way? Well, I received all the answers I needed early on and I am happy with my choice.

It started well from the get go. The ticket agents who checked me in were all smiles. They were curious about my up coming adventures and seemed genuinely interested. This early interaction relieved all of my anxieties and fears. Yes, even clowns can feel anxiety and fear.

The TSA agents would be my next "challenge". Truth be told it was no challenge at all! Just as past experiences have shown, they love clowns. I am sure it is a nice break from the monotony they must endure. Almost every agent smiled, laughed and played along. One agent asked me where I was going, on my shirt. So, I pointed to Georgia on my clown top, which is a map of the world. Funny enough, to point to Georgia and Armenia I had to lift my left arm and "smell" my own armpit to reach them. That got a few giggles as you can imagine. I got through TSA in under 10 minutes. It probably would have been 5 if not for my shenanigans. I love traveling from a small airport! Although, the airport was fairly empty on a Monday afternoon, which made clowning opportunities limited. I was actually OK with that as I continued to acclimate myself. 

Veronica our Flight Attendant was happy to put on a nose for a selfie!

As I boarded my first flight from Madison to Chicago, I was greeted by a beautiful smiling flight attendant named Veronica. She asked why I was dressed this way, so I told her. I stepped to the side so other passengers could get on board and we chatted a minute. She asked for a hug, and I happily complied. After all, I do wear a Free Hugs button on my clown top. I asked if she would put on a nose and take a selfie with me (I have done this a few times in the past and really enjoy it). She happily complied and then introduced me to the pilots Josh and Chandler. They were equally cheerful and curious about my trip. So I chatted with them a few minutes and they also took a selfie with noses on. This fun interaction also happened. The pilot asked me where I was going... Me: "I am going to Georgia". Josh: "Oh, what part?". Me: "Tbilisi". Josh: "What part of Georgia is that?" Me: "It is the capital" Josh: "I don't think so." Me: "Sure it is, and after that we will go to Armenia". This is when Josh realized I was not talking about the state of Georgia. We both chuckled at that.

Josh and Chandler in the cockpit

I was a little sad that these wonderful people would only be my crew from Madison to Chicago. It is such a short time to spend together and parting was such sweet sorrow. It was made even more sweet when Veronica gave me a second hug as I deboarded the plane. She then handed me a small pack of travel kits for children. United Airlines gives these out to kids who fly, and she told me to share them with the children in Georgia and Armenia. My heart overflows with such thoughtful kindness! 

These kits had crayons, drawings and origami supplies

As I got to my next gate, I looked through the packet and discovered a really sweet note from the crew. Here is what it said...

"Thank you for bringing some joy to those who need it most. Have a safe journey. A few small trinkets for the kids and a few bucks for a coffee after a long journey."

I don't know if they will ever fully understand the impact this had on me. It made my journey feel even more worthwhile somehow. Knowing that other Americans care about the rest of the world gave me warm heart feelings through and through. By the way, that coffee in Georgia was one of the most delicious I have ever had.

I had a few hours before my flight to Munich, so I was able to clown around a bit at O'Hare. It is always fun to walk around an airport this way, juggling and interacting with the people who want to interact with me. Even watching the reactions peripherally amuse me. It can be as simple as a smile or a big laugh as a teenager points me out to their friends. Sometimes those teenagers will even come up to me for a "show". Sometimes. :0). I am always happy to oblige, no matter the age. I have clowned with ages 2 to 92 in airports and it always elicits smiles, giggles, and sometimes a hug at the end. My heart loves it. 

My friend Debbie from Texas. We met up in Munich.

In Munich I met up with my friend Debbie. We knew we were on the same flight to Tbilisi, so that was fun. We also met up with 2 other clowns who would be on the same connection. Kate from America and Daniel from Germany joined our happy band of clowns. We would meet all the others in Tbilisi. As Debbie and Kate caught up since their last trip together, I had some children to play with. One extra special girl, named Elena, was at my side with a big grin and "begging" to play. Who am I to turn down such sweetness? I played with her and some other kids while we waited. As I played with Elena, her older sister came up to watch. Elena didn't speak English, but her sister did. I learned that Elena is Ukrainian and her older sister is Russian. Whew, I wonder what kind of emotional conflict must go through their heads? I have no idea, and that is the only downside to these trips. I don't get to know and learn all the details of someone's hardships. Either way, I play on and try to spread some sort of kindness, love and laughter along the way. I hope it is enough. Even if it is not enough, I do know it helps! Time and time again we are told stories about people who have confirmed this... sometimes even years later. You may even hear such a story in my next blog about our Georgia adventures. If not that one, then my post about Armenia. These will be coming in the next week or two...

Happy Travels My Friend!

  Now Go Out and Hug Someone Today!!!