If you've traveled anywhere from Australia to Asia, you know the frenzy and anticipation that comes with gliding 30,000 feet in the air, in a steel box, for long hours. If you're like me, you've been going on tens of planes every year since you were little. You've flown in every condition and every type of plane. If you fly international, you're lucky if your flight isn't a double decker plane, like my flight to South Korea. If you're lucky, you have a few friends with you. 14 hours is a very long time and I'm here to tell you, they aren't that bad. It's all about the climb, isn't it?
Stage 1 - Pre- Flight
This is where you buy all the American candy and chips you're going to miss. But little do you know, the destination took over the concession stands even before you boarded the flight from New York City.
Stage 2 - Boarding
You stare out from your gate and wonder how in the world can a freakin' plane that looks as big as the country you're going to is. You try to not let your hands get too shaky- and hey, it's from the excitement right?
Stage 3 - Hour 1 and 2
Stage 4 -Hour 3
Stage 5 - Hour 4 and 5
Dinner comes around and you start trading your mozzarella balls for the orange slices of your flight companion. They want you to get used to your new cuisine so they start you off with the spiciest dish you've ever had. No, this isn't Delta and you can't have another one. Your butt is starting to tingle and you wonder if you can really do this. You hope breakfast is better. (Spoiler alert: it's not.)
Stage 6 - Hour 6 and 7
Stage 7 - Hour 8
I swear you go into a daze, trying to fight your body that's telling you to sleep. If you're lucky your plane is equipped with camera on the front, back and bottom of this massive plane. It'll feel like you're an astronaut but it turns out you are just dehydrated and sleep deprived.
Stage 8 - Hours 9 and 10
You conked out. You tried so hard not to, but there are no pictures to tell the tales.
Stage 9 - Hours 11-12
You're in and out of naps. You start laughing at the little things. You start annoying every passenger in your area. The responsible adults are trying to make sure you're awake so you can adjust to the time difference but half your group is long from waking up. You wonder how people can possibly do this more than once in a lifetime. You wonder if you will ever see land again. You wonder how long a plane could possibly go without stopping. If you crash landed, would it be like Captain America? Would people in 70 years find you?
Stage 10 - Hour 13
As per usual, you are irresponsible and fell asleep in the last hour. Dad saved the day to catch the sun rising. This is when you realized you lost a day. You are still puzzled by this fact. It's haunting really. This is when you find out breakfast in America is another thing you will dearly miss.
Stage 11 - Hour 14
You finally start descending to your tropical or desert destination. Half of your Facebook album from this trip will be airplane photos.
Stage 12 - Debarking
LAND HO. The signs are different. You are a minority. Where is Dunkin' Donuts?
Stage 13 - The outside world.
The happiness felt when you can breathe fresh air after sharing recycled air for the last 14 HOURS OF YOUR LIFE. We really do take air for granted. Your trip has just started and you can't see another 14 hour flight in your future, or at least the next two weeks.
Stage 14 - Going Home
The faces of teenagers having to go on another 14 hour flight... take the expressions as you will. Some can get through and some will never board a flight to the other side of the world in a long, long time.
