Bear in mind that many, indeed most, of the attendees to this National Harbor, Maryland venue have relatively easy trips; 3-5 hours in an airliner at most, while many who live east of the Mississippi can drive it in a day or less. But from the Great Land, it's a little different proposition. My hegira involved:

1. A 90-minute drive to the Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage
2. A five-hour red-eye flight to Denver, where my wife will visit with her parents while I'm out on the East Coast
3. A 3-1/2 hour flight from Denver to Reagan International
4. An Uber to the hotel where I had a reservation, only to find that they were overbooked and I was refused
5. Another Uber to a cheap-sleep in Alexandria where I managed to find a room

Things like this can be stressful.

Fortunately, in my pre-journalist life, I was in a line of work that required pretty much constant travel, much of it international; I spent a lot of time Rome-ing around. Familiarity may breed contempt but it also lends perspective; I've long ago learned to take an even strain when things get out of whack. You can, after all, always find more whack.

That does not, however, mean we need to meekly accept whatever the fates of travel throw at us; after all, it's costing us a lot of money to travel, unlike some political figures I could name, who by the way spend a lot of time telling us we should stay home.

See Related: Eric Swalwell Spent Hundreds of Thousands of Campaign Fund Dollars on Travel, Lavish Dinners, Lux Spas

Government Bureaucrats Could Use 'Kill Switch' to Stop People From Driving Because... Reasons

There are some things passengers could do, though, to make air travel easier not only for themselves but also for everyone in that aluminum tube. As with so many things in life, preparation is key. It's not advisable to just wing it. Here are a few tips I've found to help:

Always bring a towel. Seriously, this is a good idea. Airliners bathrooms generally have crappy, cheap paper towels, and on a long flight, you'll likely want to wash up. You'll be glad to have that towel.

Remember that you get what you pay for.  United, my airline of choice, charges as much as $75 for the slightly roomier Economy Plus seats.  However, I disagree that passengers should meekly accept being squeezed ever tighter; a little judicious bitching might just reverse this trend.

Stop bringing all of your earthly belongings with you. You can always spot the amateur travelers, not least because they are usually struggling to check in with half a dozen suitcases and the family dog. But what really burns my bacon is the chap who brings an enormous backpack in and tries to stuff it in the overhead bin, taking up the entire space. The airlines do provide guides to see if your bag is within the allowable carry-on dimensions, but they rarely bother to enforce these rules; the schmuck with an enormous dog-coffin “carry-on” is all too often allowed to proceed.

Bathe before coming to the airport. Seriously, take a shower. Use some deodorant. And show up in something other than your pajamas. Have some self-respect, for crying out loud.

Wear comfortable shoes. Your feet will thank you for it. But bear this in mind: No matter how good it feels to kick your shoes off once you're settled in your seat, put those shoes back on before going to the bathroom; trust me, that isn't water on the floor in there.

Speaking of that: Last but not least: Never pass up a chance to pee.

Travel is stressful, and believe me, it doesn't get any less so as you get older. These days it takes more and more to get me out of the Susitna Valley; I'm not really even much enamored of having to run down to Wasilla to do our usual monthly trading. There's no reason, though, to make it any more stressful than it has to be - and that's the plane truth. Relax, get to where you are headed, get into a comfy room, and enjoy suite dreams.

This seems appropriate.