In this day and age, there’s an influx of people traveling far and wide. Many of my friends–at home and abroad–buy a plane ticket and venture off to a new country or sometimes a new continent to get away for a little while. Here on this side of the world, the popular places to go are Thailand, Japan, Bali, and Hong Kong. And Cebu, too. For my North American friends, it’s a different mix. Just take your pick! Will it be Europe? South America? The Caribbean? Somewhere close to home but not too close?
If you’re like me, you’ll pick something in a land far, far away without really caring right away at the point of purchase that your flight will be quite a long journey. I mean come on: the idea of venturing to a foreign and uncharted territory is more exciting to think about than what you’ll do for eight plus hours on the plane to get there. For me, the fun part is packing up a suitcase and figured out what I’ll be doing. I know how it goes: you’ll worry about what to do on the plane and how to survive the long journey later on, after the big decisions have been made. But believe me, there are ways to make eight or so hours on a moving plane better than the image sounds in your head.
Bring your own snacks and a reusable water bottle. This is super important! You aren’t allowed to bring liquids more than 3.4 ounces through security (yes, I have probably flown too many times to count in order to memorize the exact measurements), but it doesn’t say anything about empty bottles or food. You can bring pies, pizza, homemade goodies, snack bars, fruit, etc. This is especially nice if you aren’t too keen on the airplane food. So prepare yourself! Bring some snackies and a water bottle to fill up. And make sure you stay hydrated. No one likes that dreaded bloated feeling after being in the air so long. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself later for running back and forth to the bathroom during the flight. So will your wallet, because let’s be real: no one wants to spend $5 on a 16 ounce water bottle. There’s so many other places that money could go!
Bring entertainment. Packing reading materials or extra activities is a good idea. If you’re lucky, the airline gives you access to a zillion and one movies, TV shows, music channels, and games. But, if you’re like me, it’s only exciting for the first four hours before I need to find something else to do. So I usually bring my Kindle, a notebook to write, and my laptop if I feel compelled to do so. Even a coloring book could prove to be relaxing and time consuming. The last time I flew from America to Taiwan, I spent two hours coloring an under the sea collage. I had no regrets. And I’ll probably bring it on my next big trip…
Prepare yourself with the essential emergency items. Some of the essentials I bring are no brainers: lip balm, some small lotion, tissues, portable charger for my phone, etc. And airplanes can be loud depending on where you sit. For sensitive sleepers, this is a no go. If this is you, bring noise cancelling headphones or ear plugs. And depending on where you’re flying to, be sure to get some shut eye. Even a little cat nap helps when you finally touch down and hit the ground running at your destination. If you’re not too comfortable with turbulence, Dramamine or some sort of nausea reliever can counter any discomfort you feel during your journey. I usually stick to Airborne. It does wonders for me. Also, I recommend stuffing a container of Ibuprofen in your carry-on. You’ll never know if or when you’ll need it.
No matter where you’re venturing off to in the foreseeable future, hopefully you have some idea on what to bring and how to best prepare for even the longest of journeys! You’ll be glad you were possibly over-prepared instead of under-prepared when you finally step onto the jet bridge at your final destination, ready to rock and roll and explore a new city.
