What to Expect When You Are About to Board a Long-Haul Flight

Good morning! Or ‘good afternoon’. I’m not sure which one is the most appropriate because I hadn’t slept last night, and my cloudy mind would like to say “Good night.”

But that’s not going to happen because I’m stuck at Ataturk airport in Istanbul, Turkey, because I love traveling around the planet. This airport is like my second home or something because it seems like there are some hidden forces of the universe that drag me here over and over again.

But I like returning to familiar places. It’s comforting, and it doesn’t make me anxious, which is kind of my natural state. So I don’t mind spending 6 hours 30 minutes until my next flight to Kuala Lumpur. What I do mind is my weary mind. It’s like every blink threatens my eyes.

Stages of agony

Good thing they switched on some more lights in the airport. I would have never guessed they have more, but apparently, they put all sorts of hidden bulbs to make sure you won’t fall asleep. But there are a lot of sleepy people in the cafe shops, on the waiting chairs, and even on the floor, randomly spread across the entire airport. That reminds me of… myself two years ago, when I spent 12 hours in this airport, sleeping on the same chairs. Traveling around the planet requires some sacrifices.

What I do remember about this 12-hour layover in the airport: I was not comfortable!

So I was telling you about these annoying lights, and because Christmas is coming, they have extra tiny lights that we could call Christmas lights. Wonderful… it’s like a magic show to my eyes.

Going mental

The flight from Bucharest to Istanbul was only 1 hour and 30 minutes. It’s like going from Bucharest to the next big city by car. But what awaits is concerning me. A 10h 30′ flight. It’s terrifying. For me, it’s definitely among the top 5 worst experiences ever.

I really wish I didn’t know what lies ahead, but I have been through a 10-hour flight before, and it’s like the worst punishment someone with severe back pain and poor peripheral circulation can get.

And if you are a social weirdo like I am, you are the lucky winner of a journey in the same aluminium can with some other 300 people. This is not the type of journey someone with claustrophobia can take.

I don’t want to think too much about this because it’s going to happen anyway. If there is nothing I can do about it or to improve this experience, I see no point in wasting my time thinking about it.

Now I need to relax my mind and let it daydream about Malaysia, about summer in Christmas time, about new experience, new acquaintances and new stages I will come across. I feel happy. I use my time in the best possible way and I cannot imagine any other ways to be happier. It’s not about the money, it’s about how bad you really want it.

Daydreaming… about traveling around the planet

I promise you that if you want something bad enough, it will happen. Perhaps it will not happen when you expect it, desire it, or ask for it.

But don’t give up on your dreams. Don’t stop believing in yourself for 1 second, no matter what others are saying. You will always know what’s best for yourself, and you are the one who knows best what you want and what you are capable of.

Others will always be giving you advice, but they CAN be wrong, and some WILL be wrong. Parents, brothers, best friends. They’re human, and humans make mistakes.

Remember this: the best advice you’ll get in life will always come from within.

Some poor decisions are necessary to build your inner intuition. Accept your experiences, embrace them, and make them count.

I will have a lot of time to meditate, experience a new culture, and reconsider my plans. I am going to travel to the other side of the planet.

Don’t waste your days. Live them!