About International Long-Haul Flights

International travel is so uncomfortable! But there are some things that make it more bearable, so I will try to remember all of the things I thought of while travelling!

Noise-cancelling headphones! I didn’t have a pair but my darling father lent me his set for the trip, and I am going to invest in some before my flights to Berlin in two months time! They just cut out all the background noise, which is awesome for me because too much noise can stress me out and make it difficult to sleep. They take a bit of getting used to if you want to get comfortable enough to sleep in them, because obviously having giant ear extensions isn’t a normal sensation!

As far as seating goes, I had no idea when it came to choosing where to sit so we just left it up to the travel agent. The only advice I did have came from my father and was “Have you ever seen a plane back into a mountain?” which is a valid point, but I find that the further back you are the less likely it is that both dinner options will still be available by the time they reach you! This does lead into another of my suggestions though, which is eat in airports if you can afford to, I’m not generally a picky eater, but I only really ate half of my airplane meals because some of it was a bit slimy or vomit inducing. So instead I would get a meal at the airport about half an hour before take off, and usually that plus half of my plane meal would keep me going. Plus if you are in international airports in foreign countries it is a really good opportunity to try some of their cuisine!

Also about seating – I was stuck in a middle seat for both of our long haul flights so got up to walk around quickly once per flight, ideally I would rather have done a bit more moving because those seats are a killer for your lower back! Also when I got up I went to the bathroom and washed my face to make me feel a bit fresher, which helped, as after a long time in travel limbo you start to feel pretty gross!
Also when you get to your destination – look at your ankles! I’ve never been too self-conscious about my ankles but holy crap! Once you see swollen ankles caused by flying - your normal ankles look pretty damn petite in comparison!
Also, this was my first international travel experience in about 6 years, and the entertainment stuff they have is so much more than what it was back then! I had loaded up my laptop with a bunch of recent comedy films and series that don’t require too much attention, and half of them were on the planes mini tv sets! So I still had a couple of things extra on my laptop that weren’t there, but mostly I entertained myself with what was available on the plane.
On a sappier note, I watched the Pixar/Disney film ‘Brave’ about a rebellious young princess who believes that she should be able to decide what her destiny is and not just conform to the expectations of a Princess to be married off etc. etc., and at the end there was a voice over that said:
Next post will be actual destination stuff :] not just travel limbo stuff!

“Some say fate is beyond our command, but I know better. Our destiny is within us. You just have to be brave enough to see it.”

Which resonated with me, I’m not feeling particularly brave about this move to Potsdam, but it’s one of those things I’ve always wanted to do – two of the things I’ve always wanted to do actually, live in Europe and do a PhD! So it would be pretty sad if I wimped out now just because it was a bit scary!

Anyway, our travel went like this:

4 hour drive from Dunedin to Christchurch

1.5 hour flight from Christchurch to Auckland

10 hour flight from Auckland to Tokyo

12 hour flight from Tokyo to Paris

We also had a really interesting tour around Christchurch thanks to my Aunty and Uncle, as it was the two year anniversary of the February 2011 Christchurch Earthquake. The damage is still really apparent around most of the city and they are still deciding which buildings to demolish! I can’t believe it was two years ago!