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Bethany's Long Haul Flight

2/1/2019

2 Comments

 
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How do you get through a 15 hour flight? My daughter flew from New York to Hong Kong recently. My son was also on the flight, but he’s a notorious public sleeper. Not a peep out of him. If he wrote me a guest post on this same topic, it would be a very short post. Let’s ask Bethany how she got through the flight.
  • Pre-boarding: I arrive at the airport 6 hours early because I'm coming straight from work. Check in isn't available for 2 more hours so I camp out on a bench until I can get my boarding pass. The guy who checks my boarding pass before security looks at me like I'm crazy and asks me if I'm sure I want to go in this early. Sigh. Yes, I'm sure.
  • I mostly spend the rest of my wait time staring off into space because I'm exhausted. I've been up since 7am and this flight departs at 1:30am. As soon as 12am passes, the airport staff switch from "good evening" to "good morning" to begin their announcements. Stop that.
  • My brother arrives. I buy myself a neck pillow. It has unicorns on it. I'm an adult.
  • Boarding: I hate how you have to walk past business class and premium economy to get to your cheap seat. They're giving champagne  to the business class people. Hmph. I'm sitting next to 2 very large burly men who look like they're going to snore. They look supremely annoyed about getting up to let me into my window seat. My brother and I are in different seats so I’ll just have to imagine his drooly airplane sleeping.​
  • Takeoff: I browse the movie and tv selection. It's a nice mix of stuff I've been meaning to watch, old favorites, and cartoons for when I need a mood lightener. Let's start off with Girl, Interrupted. I'm too hot because I'm wearing 2 pairs of pants but I know I'll be thankful for that later. These flights are always freezing.
  • Hour 1: They bring dinner. I choose the curry chicken. It tastes ok but the texture is questionable so I don't eat much. The wine is weird but I drink all of that because wine. Dessert is Haagen Dazs ice cream bars. ​
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  • Hour 2: My back hurts.
  • Hour 3: One of the burly guys is snoring. I can't sleep.
  • Hour 4-7: Alternating sleeping and staring blankly off into space.
  • Hour 8: I'm sleeping reasonably well until I'm rudely awakened by a toddler in front of me THROWING A PILLOW AT MY FACE. I hate children. The flight attendants are passing out cup noodles for snack. The plane smells like shrimp now. The burly guys get up so I decide it's time for a bathroom visit. More importantly, time to stretch. Ah, sweet relief.
  • Hour 8.5: I've never seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show. I guess now's as good a time as any to fix that. ​
  • Hour 10: Nope, slept through the whole thing. Let's try the new Murder on the Orient Express?
  • Hour 12: Nope, slept through that too. How have I slept this much?? Magic? Witchcraft? Divine intervention? Whatever, I'll take it. I'm awake now though. Let's watch Deadpool 2. ​
  • Hour 13: All these explosions are making me hungry.
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  • ​Hour 13.5: Breakfast is served. I get the congee. It's weird. Come on, Cathay Pacific, you're usually better than this. I start a documentary on Alexander McQueen.
  • Hour 14: I think about 75% of my blood volume is currently in my feet. Gross. The burly guys keep making weird throat sounds and coughing up mucus. Also gross.
  • Hour 15: Landed! I am disoriented to the max. It's 5am?? Let’s go find Dad. And dim sum.
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Yvonne here, again. How do you spend your long flights? Give me your secrets!

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2 Comments
Michelle
3/31/2019 04:24:02 am

If I ever have to take a long-haul flight in the middle of the night after having not slept for 19 hours, I want to do it with YOU, B.

Reply
Yvonne
4/2/2019 07:53:00 am

She's oddly resilient, isn't she??

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