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Long Flights and Airport Nights

Posted on Friday, November 19, 2021
By
David Gee

Welcome to Part Three of our Goer Essentials Series, where we’ve asked Goers to sound off on the essentials to thriving in life overseas. In today’s article, we cover Goers' tips on getting through those long flights and layovers. 

GOER ESSENTIALS:  10 ESSENTIALS TO THRIVING IN LIFE OVERSEAS

For this Goer Essential series, we surveyed 25 Goers who are serving two-year global placements in 10 different countries on 4 continents.  These articles are your chance to hear directly from Goers as they share their triumphs, best practices, amusing gaffes, and deep experiences of learning to live, thrive, and make an impact while immersed in a new culture!

About the author:  David Gee served for two years in a GoCorps placement in North Africa serving refugees from across the middle east.  In this Goer Essential series, he shares his own experiences alongside the stories and lessons learned of Goers serving all over the world using their unique skillsets and training to fight injustice, serve the oppressed and share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Part 3: Long Flights and Airport Nights

At the end of my two years serving overseas with GoCorps, I made a rookie mistake.

I was so hyped about getting stateside and reuniting with breakfast tacos that I overlooked a crucial pitfall in my return itinerary. I had a layover in Kuwait...for 12 hours!

I wept, I prayed, I counted the chairs in the terminal, and ultimately snoozed in a corner cuddling my backpack. Unfortunately, I wasn’t near as prepared as some of our Goers below were.

They sounded off on all their tips and tricks for thriving in airports and airplanes so that you don’t end up like me, lamenting and unprepared for an ultra-layover. Check out what they had to say about surviving long airport stays and flights below, starting with the essential items you should never forget. 

Don’t Forget

I usually reward myself with a latte or fun snack once I make it to my gate. As for the duration of trips, always bring one of those travel neck pillows! Pack your own food and emergency headache meds because buying in the airport is super expensive!

-Elisa, Columbia

Bring a book...also, bring snacks!! But please don't be that person who brings something really smelly on the plane - that's never good.

-Liz, North Africa
 

Bring a travel pillow. Bring snacks. Bring a reusable water bottle. Flight attendants are usually more than happy to fill your bottle instead of giving you the two-sip plastic cups 8500 times.

-Hannah, Zambia

I’d second neck pillows and a personal water bottle all day, but a tip for the wise, fill up that water bottle AFTER security. On a good day they’ll make you dump it out, on a bad day they’ll just confiscate it. Don’t start your trip mourning the loss of a sentimental water bottle.

But what about plane etiquette when you’re stuck next to a stranger for ten hours? And how do you fight leg cramps and feet falling asleep? Our Goers had plenty to say there as well. 

Stretchy Legs, Snoozing, and Jet Lag

Walk around as much as possible on the plane and especially in airports on layovers. It’s always good to do some stretching when you can as well.

-Hannah, Zambia

Don't feel bad about asking the person next to you to move a bit so you can go to the aisle and stand up/stretch.

-Liz, North Africa

While the need to stretch your legs is universal on a long flight, you’ll often find conflicting opinions about how much you should, or shouldn’t sleep on a long flight, and whether it worsens your jet lag or not, a couple of our Goers offered their advice.

If you are tired, sleep. Don’t think that you will try to conquer jetlag on the plane before you land. Listen to your body and if you are tired, put on those headphones and sleep. 

-Hannah, Zambia

You don't want to spend the whole time sleeping, because for most people that will make jet lag much worse when you finally do arrive--take what you need and don't push yourself too hard.

-Samuel, East Asia

Some Essential Hacks

And even though there obviously are no hidden secrets to beating jet lag, our Goers did offer a few hacks that make a big difference if you’re having to bed down for the night in an airport or trying to figure out the best way to spend your time at 30,000 feet. 

In airports overnight, it may feel more comforting to find a quiet spot, but it'll generally feel safer to find somewhere with a bit more activity and traffic if you're traveling alone and settling somewhere for a long layover.

-Maggie, Spain

Have a plan to use the plane time productively: I like to use some of the time for prayer and some of it to watch a well-made movie, but others might prefer reading, writing--whatever floats your boat (or plane).  But also, remember to have grace for yourself and listen to your body: if you need to sleep, sleep; if you can't concentrate, it's OK to veg out for a bit and watch your favorite comfort show.

-Samuel, East Asia

If you have two long flights and you prefer the window seat (which is by far the best seat in my opinion), choose your seat on one side of the aircraft for one flight, and choose the other side of the plane for the next flight. This helps balance the cricks in your neck that you will inevitably get.

-Hannah, Zambia

And If It All Goes Wrong

Finally, we know that getting to travel internationally is an incredible privilege, but it’s worth acknowledging that airport, flights, and travel plans can often get messy. Whether it’s canceled flights, storm delays, or being questioned by border security (been there), the amount of things that could stack together to bring your travel euphoria crashing down is endless. Hannah, one of our Goers serving in Mexico offers some helpful reminders of God’s sovereignty even in the midst of these hassles:

Keep calm and keep going. I've had two nightmare experiences in the airport due to delayed or canceled flights in the past two years. It was extremely stressful but God came through, took care of me, protected me, and got me to where I really needed to be (that doesn't mean it was necessarily where I'd wanted to get or in the timing I'd wanted to get there). But both experiences brought growth and unexpected blessings. Feel what you're feeling, the stress, anxiety, frustration, but don't take it out on others-- it just won't make it better-- but do stand up for yourself, ask questions, fight for that refund, but at the point where it's not worth your energy anymore, let it go and trust God for the provision you need. Pray while you wait, and use the time at the airport to process the past and prepare for the future. Or sleep, or just sit and do nothing-- we can all use that more than we allow ourselves to take the opportunity!

-Hannah, Mexico

Conclusion

And there you have it folks, the essential tips, tricks, and hacks needed to survive long flights, cramping legs, overnight airports, and all the hurdles 30,000 feet has to offer. Thanks to our Goers for sharing their wisdom, and for all of those wondering - no, you won’t be judged for color coordinating your neck pillow and carry-on bag.

Takeaways

  • A personal water bottle, snacks, and a neck pillow go a long way. 
  • Don’t be shy, get up and stretch - leg cramps are a killer.
  • Plane time CAN be productive.
  • God is in control, even in airport chaos.

Want to dive a little deeper? Check out these Goer blogs related to traveling:

Check out other blogs in this series here.

David Gee

David is fluent in both Texan and Arabic, and likes to write about everything he has learned from those two worlds colliding. He’s a Goer alum that spent two years in the Middle East learning Arabic and working with Yemeni refugees, and continues to minister to immigrants in his community today. Catch him drinking coffee, riding a skateboard, or doing both at the same time.

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