Travel is supposed to be about adventure, discovery, and stepping outside of your comfort zone. When you are 6'10", however, sometimes the “outside of your comfort zone” part begins before you even leave the airport.

I love traveling. I love seeing new places, cruising, visiting theme parks, exploring cities, attending sporting events, and experiencing things that are completely different from everyday life. But being exceptionally tall changes the way I experience almost every part of a trip.

For most travelers, choosing an airline seat might come down to whether they prefer the window or the aisle. For me, the first question is much simpler: Will I actually fit?

At 6'10", legroom isn't really a luxury. It can be the difference between an uncomfortable flight and a miserable one. Standard economy seats simply weren't designed for people my size. My knees can end up pressed against the seat in front of me before the plane even leaves the gate.

Because of that, I research airplanes and seat configurations more than most people probably ever think about doing. Exit rows, extra-legroom seats, premium economy, and certain aircraft configurations can make a huge difference.

That kind of research doesn't stop with flying, either.

When I attend sporting events, I will actually call the team or venue ahead of time and ask questions about the seating. If I am going to spend hundreds of dollars on tickets, I want to know whether my knees are going to fit behind the seat in front of me before I hit the purchase button.

Back on the plane, the aisle seat does have one major advantage: occasionally being able to stretch a leg into the aisle—at least until the beverage cart comes rolling through.

Airplanes aren't the only transportation challenge. Rental cars can become their own adventure. Some vehicles look perfectly spacious from the outside until I sit down and discover that my knees are practically wrapped around the steering wheel. Smaller ride-share vehicles can be even more entertaining. There have definitely been moments when I've watched the car pulling up and thought: “There is absolutely no way this is going to work.”

Then somehow, I fold myself inside. Hotels come with their own tall-person considerations. Most hotel beds technically work, although my feet may have a different opinion. Showers can be interesting too. There is nothing quite like walking into a hotel bathroom and realizing that the shower head is approximately shoulder height.

But traveling as a tall person isn't all inconvenient. One of the fun parts is that people remember you.

At theme parks, cruise ships, airports, restaurants, sporting events, and tourist attractions, someone will eventually ask the question I have probably heard thousands of times: “How tall are you?” The answer—6'10"—usually leads immediately to another question: “Did you play basketball?” No. The only thing I ever dunked was a donut.

Being tall becomes an automatic conversation starter. I've met people from all over the country and different parts of the world simply because someone noticed my height and started talking to me. There is also something interesting about experiencing destinations from a literally different perspective.

At concerts, parades, sporting events, and crowded attractions, I rarely have trouble seeing what is happening. Of course, the people standing behind me might have a completely different opinion. Theme parks are one of my favorite examples of how being tall changes travel. Riding attractions isn't always as simple as getting in line. Restraints, legroom, ride vehicle design, and height restrictions can all matter. Most people think of height restrictions as something for children who aren't tall enough. Tall travelers sometimes have the exact opposite problem.

I remember back in 2017 doing extensive online research before a trip because I wanted to know whether I would even be able to ride certain attractions at Walt Disney World and Universal Studios. That's not something the average traveler necessarily thinks about. Before visiting a new park, I want to know whether someone my height can comfortably—or safely—fit on certain attractions. A ride might technically allow someone who is 6'10", but “allowed” and “comfortable” are two very different things. Sometimes the challenge isn't even height by itself. It's the combination of height, legroom, the position of the restraint, and the way the ride vehicle was designed. You learn very quickly that doing a little research beforehand can save you a lot of frustration once you're standing in the park.

Cruising has similar quirks. Cruise cabins are efficient by design, which is another way of saying they aren't always built for a giant. Bathrooms can be tight. Shower stalls can feel microscopic. Beds aren't exactly designed with NBA-sized travelers in mind. Thankfully, there are sometimes alternatives. Many cruise ships have showers available in their spa or fitness areas, which can be a much more comfortable option than trying to navigate a tiny cabin shower. And despite those challenges, cruising is still one of my favorite ways to travel. Once I'm onboard, I can unpack once and wake up somewhere different almost every day. For someone who already has to think carefully about transportation comfort, there is something incredibly appealing about having the hotel travel with you.

Over time, I've learned that successful travel as a tall person mostly comes down to preparation. I look at seat maps. I research aircraft. I think about rental car size. I call venues. I check ride restrictions. I consider hotel room layouts. I look for information from other tall travelers. I pay attention to transportation and seating details that most people might never think twice about. Those seemingly small decisions can completely change the experience.

The biggest lesson I've learned, though, is that you shouldn't let your size keep you from experiencing the world. Sometimes traveling at 6'10" means paying a little extra for legroom. Sometimes it means squeezing into a tiny elevator. Sometimes it means ducking through a doorway that everyone else walks through without noticing. Sometimes it means researching an amusement park ride before getting in line. And sometimes it means spending an entire flight wondering why airplane designers apparently believe human legs stop growing at 5'8".

But those inconveniences are temporary. The memories aren't. I've learned that travel doesn't have to fit you perfectly for it to be worth doing. You adapt. You prepare. You ask questions. And occasionally, you just laugh at how ridiculously small something looks when you're standing next to it. Being tall is simply part of the way I experience the world. It makes me research a little more. It makes me plan a little differently.

And every once in a while, it gives me a pretty good story. The world may not always be built for someone who is 6'10". But I'm certainly not going to let that stop me from seeing it.