My dad did National Service after the Second World War

He served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) and was stationed in Münster, in occupied Germany

The RAF gave him two pieces of advice for when you travel, and he passed them on to me:

Whenever you get on a bus, plane, or train—sleep

You never know when you’ll get the chance to sleep again

Whenever you’re offered food—eat

You never know when your next meal will come

I remember flying to Munich with Adam

When food was served on the plane, I wasn’t really hungry, but I remembered my dad’s advice and ate anyway

Adam, however, said he wasn’t hungry and turned the food down

When we landed in Munich late that evening, we discovered almost everything shut at 10:00 PM

Adam was starving, and we ended up running from restaurant to restaurant, desperately trying to find one still open

Eventually, we persuaded a reluctant restaurant owner to let us in on the promise that we’d order, eat, and leave quickly

That night cemented my dad’s advice in my mind

When you travel, prepare for the unknown, sleep and eat when you can

It’s a simple rule, but it can save you from a lot of hungry, sleepless nights