Long-Haul Flight Tips

Okay, let's be honest here, who, genuinely, loves doing long-haul flying? Because I hate it. Being trapped in a glorified sardine can for 8+ hours is horrifying to me and let's not even get started on my need to be on the aisle. But I thought I would share with y'all some of my long-haul flight tips. I've done this a few times in the past and I think I've got a pretty good system in place. Let me know your tips & tricks as well, I'm always looking for new ideas - xoxo darling, Hayden.

1. Bring a Book - So you might be thinking, why? There is always an entertainment system on the flight, Hayden. Well yes, but one time I was flying from Amsterdam to the United States and the in-flight entertainment wouldn't work. I, being stupid, didn't bring a book and had a little panic. They eventually rebooted the system and it worked but what if it hadn't? I would have been clawing the walls by about hour four. Moral of the story, always have a back-up. Also, sometimes the movies/TV shows aren't any good - and reading makes you smarter. Pick up a paperback before you fly out and you'll never be bored.  2. Plan out your movie watching  - During the first hour of the flight I like to completely scroll through the entertainment to decide my game plan. What movies do I really want to see/what would be the most fun. Then I make a schedule in my head of when I'm going to watch what. This gives me a better idea of how to manage the time and what to watch while I fall asleep. Also, planning it all out helps you kill time.  3. Eat everything - Eat everything - But, Hayden, airplane food is disgusting. I agree wholeheartedly with you. It is super gross. But you know what eating does? It distracts you from how much time you have spent/still have to spend on the plane. And you never know where your next meal will come from once you land. I hate doing it but I *attempt* to eat everything that I'm served. Also, choose well. If you aren't vegetarian, get the meat option because that means protein. And eat the breakfast in the morning, it will serve you well.  4. Bring wipes & moisturizer - Bring wipes for your make-up/face & moisturizer - This is one of my favorite steps. When I decide to go to bed I take my lil' toiletry kit to the bathroom with a toothbrush & toothpaste as well as some face stuff and take my time getting ready for bed. I wipe my face (even if I don't have make-up on), moisturize and just get peaceful before I take a long nap. Then when I wake up and decide it's time to fully wake up I do the same thing. This time I'll splash my face with cold water and get my morning routine done. This usually takes 10 minutes per session and that's almost half an hour of the flight taken up!  5. Get up and walk around - Get up and walk around - I can't stress this enough. You will be sore, more tired and at risk for blood clots (stuff I don't even want to go into) if you stay sitting for 8+ hours. Get up every 1.5 hours (unless you're sleeping good) and just walk down an aisle. You won't disturb anyone and it will keep you healthy! 

6.Take a pill to sleep - Take a pill to sleep - This might be against your thoughts/beliefs but I will do just about anything to sleep on a plane. So I am a big proponent of taking some type of pill to fall asleep. I usually take it with dinner and just conk out so that I can get enough sleep to where I'm not incredibly tired when I land. But that's up to you!  7. Do not look at the map until you wake up - Do not look at the map until you wake up - This is a big one for me. If you are on a red-eye do not look at that map until after you've "slept" for the night. You don't want to be monitoring it because you will get distressed real fast. If you are on an all-day flight, just try not to look at it at all. I find I like being surprised when I hear the wheels coming out than stressing over how much time I have left. 
Interested in more tips? Check out my top 10 travel essentials!  Stay tuned for tomorrow's Travel Week post, My Favorite Florida Spots.