Wine flights taking off in Newark Liberty’s Terminal C

I tend to be a little anal-retentive when it comes to getting to the airport on-time for a flight. As such, I end up arriving a good 2+ hours before take-off. The upside is that, in all of my travels, I have only missed two flights because of my tardiness. The downside is that I’ve had to kill a tremendous amount of time in airports. Despite the fact that they are made for waiting, airport terminals are pretty much the epitome of lame. Most are devoid of decent food options and full of stores that sell schlock and overpriced bags of mixed nuts. But in recent years, some terminals have started to…get this…cater to travelers! And Newark Liberty Airport’s Terminal C is now one of those terminals.

Terminal C is home to Continental Airlines and some of the best food and drinks you will find in an airport. For anyone who has ever forced down some scolding hot Sbarro’s pizza or hockey puck-like fast food burgers while waiting for a flight, Terminal C’s offerings are a sight for sore stomachs.

There’s the Heineken Lounge, Sam Adams bar and Guinness Irish Pub, which provide travelers with a chance to make flying a tad more bearable without having to sit in a drab airport bar. And Vino Volo offers customers wine flights of selections from around the world. And if you find a wine that you like, you can purchase bottles to take away or have shipped to you.

I never understood why waiting for a flight had to be so torturous. Not everyone can afford to have access to lounges, but that doesn’t mean that the main terminal should look like a mall food court. There’s a happy medium and Newark Liberty Airport’s Terminal C seems to have found that and even exceeded it a bit. Now my only concern is getting distracted at one of the bars and missing my flight!

Going Alone: Tips for a Safe and Pleasant Solo Journey

My first trip anywhere alone began in Athens 9 years ago. I grew up in the suburbs of Seattle, and had never even taken the bus, let alone experienced a foreign city. As my plane descended I watched the sprawling white city become clearer and clearer through the smoggy sky, and as we got closer I became more terrified. The plane touched down — and I started bawling. It took several Heinekens and a kind stranger to get me in a taxi to my hostel, and several more days before I recovered from jet lag and culture shock.

The subsequent month I spent touring around Europe were filled with incredible highs — I discovered I was capable and competent, and my self-esteem was boosted permanently — and all-encompassing lows — I got lonely and lost, and in situations that would’ve been funny if I’d been with a friend but drove me to tears instead — and I returned to the States a changed person. I’ve taken several solo trips since then, and I love that traveling alone forces me to be outgoing, or allows me be anonymous.

Of course, there’s smart solo travel, where someone always knows where you are and when they should hear from you. And then there’s … not-so-smart solo travel, like the time I arrived in rural China (Guizhou Province) without a guidebook, language guide, or friend. I cried until the only thing left to do was pick myself up and figure things out. I ended that trip humbled — and as always, amazed by the kindness of strangers and the power of body language.

If you’re traveling alone, you should always have someone who is waiting for you to check in, and who has a copy of your itinerary and passport at the least. To combat loneliness, try staying in hostels rather than hotels, and seek out touristy bars and restaurants if possible. If you’re dining alone, it always helps to have a good book or your journal handy to keep you occupied.

For more tips on having a safe and pleasant solo journey, check out msnbc.com.