If memory serves, I took my first flight when I was 15 years old. It was a domestic one in Germany, from Frankfurt to Berlin. Only an hour or so. Very passable. I’m confident I’ve taken over 100 flights since, many much longer than that.
Like most people, I developed a natural aversion towards long flights. Who wants to sit in a tight space with bad air and others’ germs floating around any longer than necessary, right? I’m also a light sleeper, so for most of my airy adventures, snoozing through them wasn’t an option either.
I remember our family trip to California in 2009. We flew straight from Germany to San Francisco. 11 hours or so. Everyone dreaded the flight before, during, and after, myself included. Some of my other long flights went better. Rarely, I managed to sleep sitting straight up in my chair like an ancient mummy on a throne. If I didn’t move and got lucky, I had a shot at passing out.
Some 16 years after that first boarding procedure, however, I found a new perspective: I took a long flight to Asia with my girlfriend, and we had the grandest of times. We didn’t feel bored at all. The time passed quickly, and it turned out to be a nice break from a busy stretch of work leading up to the trip. We played games. We read. We watched a movie. And voilà, we were in Singapore!
Since then, I look forward to long flights. They’re gifts, not curses. Who wouldn’t want a 12-hour-break from work and everyday life with zero expectations? Since there’s little to do, you can pass the time however you like! Nowadays, I look forward to finally getting some reading done, writing and editing articles, and perhaps watching a TV show or movie I haven’t had a chance to see yet.
I just got back from the longest flight I’ve ever taken. Between the wait after boarding and some delays, I spent 15 hours in a metal tube—and I didn’t even get halfway through my in-flight to-do list of reading, writing, and watching. I’d be happy to turn right around and take another one.
As usual, everything matters. I’m short, so I don’t get squeezed too badly even if the plane seats are small. I’m also not traveling with kids yet. But if those factors count, so does my opinion. And my opinion, it turns out, is something I can change.
Here’s to long flights—and all the seeming misfortunes that turn into lucky breaks.
