CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Four months ago, I never would have thought I would be visiting Louisiana, Colorado and North Carolina (three states I had never been to) within an upcoming 12-week span.

But here I am. Nice place, by the way.

Having been in six different airports in the past eight days, I've had to go through all the minute details of travel: "Oops! Forgot to put my toiletries kit into my check-in luggage instead of the carry-on -- there goes my shaving cream, toothpaste and mousse at the TSA line." "How the heck do you get to gate G21?" "Hmm, there's places to eat here in the main terminal, but should I go through the security line first and take the tram to my gate just to be safe? What if there's no food places on the other side ...?" "Wait, do I have everything?"

And this is just traveling by myself. I could just imagine what it's like for a high school coach responsible for 50 football players, or 25 baseball players, or 15 basketball or volleyball players. All of whom are teenagers with minds of their own.

As any traveler knows, there's a lot that can go wrong even on a simple overnight trip. Flights get delayed. Long lines at security. Luggage gets lost or is late to arrive. There's stuff that did not get packed. Hotel room not ready yet.

Now, when you're traveling with a team, multiply those glitches by 15 or more.

That's why I now have greater appreciation for coaches who take teams on trips, because you can plan out every detail months in advance but there are bound to be unexpected things that come up. And with high school teenagers, there's always the risk of someone getting into mischief or something going amiss.

I remember one high school team going to China in the late 1980s, and one kid losing his passport. Don't know how they got out of that one. Thank goodness it was before 9/11.

My brother once was with a group of high school kids at a Mainland airport, when he had to check on something at the counter and gave what seemed to be simple instructions: "Stay right here, DON'T MOVE."

So when he came back a minute later, guess what? "Where did so-and-so go?!?"

Traveling is fun, but it can be stressful.

I've seen some different philosophies on team travel. I've seen one coach tell his team the day before a long Mainland trip: "Everybody, only bring one suitcase or duffel bag." I can see how this would simplify things, especially with loading and unloading the rental van once they got there.

But packing light also might mean having to do laundry, which is another hassle altogether. I avoided this myself the other day by walking to the Las Vegas Premium Outlets and picking up an extra set of socks and bibbadeeze. (Sorry, TMI?)

I've seen coaches tell their team to show up to the airport in collared shirts and jeans/long pants, to look decent and professional. I've seen entire football teams wearing the same school T-shirt, not a bad idea in case you need to find someone in a crowded airport.

Then, once you get to the destination, you gotta figure out where to eat, what places can take large groups on short notice. You gotta get everybody checked into the hotel. There's curfew. There's breakfast and making sure everybody is accounted for. If you're driving in an unfamiliar place, there's directions to follow.

And since these trips are often official school business, there's probably receipts and expense forms or other paperwork to take care of.

To some, all the headaches might not seem worth it. What if one of the kids gets sick and has to stay back at the hotel? What if one gets injured and has to go the hospital? Or, in a worst-case scenario, what if someone gets arrested and goes to jail? (Unfortnately, this has happened before)

I know one coach who refuses to take his team on trips, unless it's a state tournament. I can understand why.

But as a fortunate lifelong traveler, I also can appreciate the value in visiting new places and experiencing new environments. It's educational to see how people live in different places, to learn geography and demographics. And going through all these experiences together builds friendships and team bonding.

And, it can be a lot of fun.

In high school, I always wanted to take a team trip but unfortunately we never got that opportunity. I actually felt kind of "ripped off" because the team I played on had taken a trip every other year, and so they went to a Neighbor Island the year before I joined and supposedly my senior year was supposed to be our turn.

But we never did, and the following year, after we graduated, they went to Los Angeles!

However, I now realize how complicated team travel can be and that it truly is a privilege and not a right.

Hopefully, the kids in high school now who are lucky enough to travel will appreciate their opportunities sooner rather than later.