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There might be some sarcasm in that title.  Just a little bit.  But who knows, maybe you really do love planes.  I know I don’t.  I don’t hate them, but I don’t love them either.  There are things I like far less.  Those things are the dark, being alone in the dark, most heights, trying to breathe through a snorkel, and horses.

Before we even get to the plane, let’s start with the airport.  First, we have layovers.  SO MUCH FUN!  The best layover I had was nine hours at LAX (where these pictures are from) in a terminal with, oh, maybe eight businesses?  The best part was, it was the SAME terminal I was in coming back from Hawaii like six years before that.  I’m actually really impressed I recognized it the second time.

Security is, of course, the highlight of the airport though.  Nothing beats taking off almost everything and removing half of your carry-on contents only to be rushed to put it on and away a minute later in record time.

Finally!  We made it to the plane!  Finding your seat, hoisting your bag into the overhead bins, and moving all the stuff on your seat – good luck not holding up everyone behind you causing irrationally upset people who think there won’t be room for them anywhere if they don’t get through NOW.  Don’t worry about them.  Just think of it as a lesson in patience.

The take off, seatbelts fastened, electronics off, seats in upright position.  And we’re off!  We’re airborne, then “squweeeeeeak rnnnnnhghchunk.”  (Thats the sound the wheels make when they go up, which also freaks me out, every. time.)  That and turbulence.  Some things, I just can’t.

Then the people.  The various people on planes really pull the ride together.  You have the armrest hogs (the worst if you’re in the middle), the aisle sleeper (sleeping in the aisle seat), the “can I go to the bathroom?” every half our person, the seat puller, the loud-listen-to-what-I’m-listening-to-really loud headphone wearers, and worst of all, the space invaders.  Space invaders can be anything from seat recliners to leaning towards you, or worse, on you, or putting their feet on your armrests.

The food!  How could we forget the food!  It’s not always bad, but that means it’s not always good either.  The plane meat freaks me out a bit though, so I started picking the vegetarian meals.  They tend to be a bit better, in my opinion.

And, the bathrooms.  Who doesn’t love an airplane bathroom?  Crazy people, thats who!  Kidding, I don’t think anyone likes them, and to be honest, the toilet flushing is loud and always scares me even though I know what’s about to happen.  Some things never change.

These are some of the best (actually worst, believe it or not) things about the flying experience.  There are upsides though, like really cool sunsets, the chance to see full rainbows, flying over cities at night and seeing all the lights, and finally arriving in your destination with a view of the countryside below.  Flying isn’t all bad, thats just what everyone tends to focus on, which could maybe stand some change.

Ok, so the bottom one isn’t a view from a plane, but it’s the best I could do.  I guess I don’t take a lot of pictures of landings.  But there is a full rainbow above it!  That was an exciting find, and I only saw it because I had my sunglasses on.  In the plane.  It was too bright looking out without them so I decided to wear them and BAM!  FULL RAINBOW!  Totally worth it.

How to survive long haul travel:

• Bring snacks!  Nothing is worse than being hungry on a long, or even short, flight.  Try these: Trail mix variety snack packs, beef jerky variety snack packs, peanut butter filled Clif Bars, coconut almond butter filled Clif Bars (I like the filled Clif Bars WAY more than the regular ones, they’re worth the price), and chocolate chip Clif Bars.  I’d be cautious about bringing fruit, especially on international flights.
• Download tons of your favorite Podcasts, movies, books, games, music, everything.
• Bring a power bank to charge things, or check Seat Guru for information about in-flight charging.
• Stay hydrated.  Bring an empty reusable water bottle with you and fill it up after security.  I like this insulated Hydro Flask because it keeps my water super cold for hours.

How do you feel about flying?  Whats your least favorite part?  What about your favorite part?  How do you survive long haul flights?