Long haul flights can be boring enough when you are with your family or friends, so how do I cope when I’m by myself for a twelve hour flight to Los Angeles, or a sixteen hour journey to India? This is a question I come up against almost every time I tell people that I like to travel alone, so I thought I would write about the different in-flight activities which prevent me from slashing my wrists in mid-air…
1) I Like To Eat
I know that we often get told that it is unhealthy to eat out of boredom. And nine times out of ten, I would agree. However, knowing that I have a little feast inside my hand-luggage bag is one of the things that keeps me motivated during a long flight. Before the flight takes off, I like to head to M&S Simply Food to stock up on a cream-cheese and smoked salmon sandwich and a tub of mozerella balls with sundried tomatos. I will often buy a lemon juice as well, because it is really delicious and refreshing. Then, I go to WHSmith, but a big bag of prawn cocktail crisps or chilli heatwave Doritos, some Fruit Pastilles and a bag of Minstrels. Yes, I know that most airlines provide meals on long-haul flights, but I don’t always like those meals, so I choose to have my own stock of snacks to keep me going during the journey!
2) Plane Pamper Party
As soon as I board an airplane, I pinch out my contact lenses, remove my makeup with a wet wipe and slather on a thick layer of moisturiser. I do the same with a good quality lip balm, because the altitude and cabin pressure often dries out my skin and lips and there is nothing that I hate more than flaky lipstick and foundation! At some point during the flight, I crack out my nail file and buffer and get started on a bit of a mini-mani, complete with hand moisturiser. Before my flight lands, I brush my teeth, remove the moisture mask with another wet wipe and reapply my makeup. Pampering myself on the plane usually takes an hour or so out of my flight time, and it always leaves me feeling fresh when I arrive at a new destination.
3) I Know It Is Annoying, But Stretching My Legs Passes A Good Ten Minutes
As I’m so conscious of the dehydrating properties of air-travel, I drink a lot of water on board a plane. So naturally, I need to pee a lot. But I don’t just nip to the bathroom to be back in my seat a minute later. Oh no. If I’m getting up out of me seat, irritating my fellow passengers by making them move to let me pass, or climbing over them if they are asleep, I need to make this trek to the bathroom worth it! I always make a point of going to the farthest bathroom from my seat, just so that I can stretch my legs a bit more. Whilst I’m waiting for my turn, I will do some squats and stretches to get the blood flowing around my body. Once I’m finished in the bathroom, I often go to the back of the plane to get some snacks or another drink too. Moving around the cabin (if it is safe to do so) can be a great way to pass a bit of time when you are at your wit’s end with boredom… plus, it can help prevent deep vein thrombosis.
4) I Can Sleep Pretty Much Anywhere, Any Time
After applying my moisture mask, I get myself comfortable. I will put my thick socks on, arrange my hoodie or shawl to cover my face and block out the external light and find a comfy enough position underneath my blanket to be able to get some shut-eye. I know I’m lucky, because I can sleep anywhere, any time, even if I’m not tired! But I also support the use of mild sleeping aids for those who don’t share my talent for sleep. I can usually sleep for a couple of hours straight on board an airplane. When I wake up I usually do something else for an hour or so then go back to sleep.
5) Never Under-Estimae The Power Of A Good Book
I am a bookworm. Always have been, always will be. A few days before I’m due to travel, I usually do a bit of research about some of my favorite authors or books I have really enjoyed to find out if that author (or anyone else) has written anything similar which I’m yet to read. As a proud possessor of an Amazon Kindle, I get two to three books downloaded before heading to the airport, so that once I’m locked on board a plane I can immerse myself in the pages. Sometimes, if I’m looking for something that will REALLY keep my attention, I will download a book in Spanish or French because although I speak quite a bit of both, I’m not 100% fluent in either which means I have to concentrate really hard. Before I know it, three hours have passed!
6) Let’s Go To The Movies…
You can often find out online which films or television shows will be available on your flight, so I always do a bit of research before I climb on board. If I find that there is nothing which takes my fancy, I make sure I have a good television series and a couple of films downloaded to my laptop, which ALWAYS stays in my hand luggage. Setting up your own in-light entertainment is a great way to pass a couple of hours at least. Plus, I feel like when I am at home I’m too busy to watch films or television series, so it is nice to start off my trip by kicking back and catching up.
7) It Is Time To Start A New Travel Journal
This is something I get super-psyched about each time I travel alone. I love having a journal where I can write all about the adventures which I take and I usually write my first entry once I board the plane. This time, I couldn’t help myself from writing in my journal even earlier than usual… My sister bought me a beautiful hand-stitched journal from Paperchase for Christmas and once 2014 started I just HAD to write about my upcoming travel plans! So there is one entry in there already, but I’m waiting until the flight to pen the second. This usually kills between half an hour and two hours, depending on how much I want to write.
8) Drop The Beat
There comes a point during a long-haul journey when I am SICK of the sound of the engine… that incessant buzzing which never stops KILLS me. And when that time comes, the headphones go in and the volume goes up. It is as simple as that.
So that’s how I stay occupied during long-haul flights by myself and before I know it, it is time to fasten my seatbelt and prepare for landing! How do you spend your flights? Do you take any extra food on board with you? Have you got an in-flight pamper ritual that you follow?
Wanderlust And Wellness 