What Do You Do With 13 1/2 Hours In The Air?

In order to visit our son and his family in Tokyo we will endure a long flight of thirteen and a half hours from Toronto to Tokyo. That's after a short flight to Toronto from Cleveland. When I tell people how long the flight is I usually get an eye roll or a tongue clicking or a shake of the head or all three. No one enjoys a long plane flight--except me, sometimes.

I don't mind if we have a little room to spread out in economy or can afford the upgrade to business class with travel miles or that rare, rare instance where we get upgraded to first class. For this flight we booked an aisle and a window seat with one between us. As time nears, the middle seat is still empty. We can only hope.

So what do I look forward to doing on that long puddle jump? A really good book, a little writing and maybe a movie or two. Some planes have games on their video screens but a lot of them are using WiFi to connect with your own personal electronics and link to their entertainment systems. There are even outlets below the seats in some planes to charge your device.

Of course a nap would be nice too but it's a daytime flight that leaves in the early morning on Friday and arrives late afternoon on Saturday, crossing the International Dateline. Did I mention jet lag? Going over to Tokyo won't be bad but coming back is always harder with the jet lag. We leave Tokyo spend fourteen hours in the air and arrive an hour later on the same day. Confused? You gotta love that International Dateline.

Flexing ankles and knees and walking the aisle once or twice will keep circulation going. I was also told once by a doctor that taking a couple of aspirin as you start a long flight will also help. Often the airline will give you a toiletries bag with socks, a sleep mask and toothpaste and brush. In this day of charging for everything, I don't count on freebies and take my own. It is refreshing to brush your teeth toward the end of your flight.

Well with my computer, my ebook and my iPhone, I should be able to entertain myself. And if I get too bored, I can always reach across the empty middle seat and startle Bob awake. That's good for a chuckle or two.