As much as we all love travelling, let’s be honest; airplanes aren’t always as glamorous as the rest of the trip. While it might be one of the biggest negatives of travel, we all have to do it to get to our destination. That being said, we’re willing to bet that you’ve had at least one of these thoughts go through your head while being on an airplane:
1.) “I hope no one else sits next to me”
Don’t lie. Once you’ve sat down, you are watching each and every person that walks down that aisle. You’re praying that the larger man, or the woman who looks like she’d harass the flight attendant, isn’t in the same row as you. You scream a little bit of excitement in your head when each potential candidate sits elsewhere. Sadly, you know that eventually you’re just going to have to share.
2.) “Is that even a carry-on?”
Sometimes, people bring bags on a plane that should have no doubt been checked. Really, this person must have a dead body in theirs. And, here they are blocking the entire aisle, shoving it into the overhead compartment, while the petite flight attendant tries to help. Are you serious? Learn how to pack!
3.) “When the hell is this flight gonna take off?”
You’ve had your seatbelt on for the last twenty minutes, and you figured you could wait to go to the bathroom until the seatbelt sign goes off. Too bad your plane is still waiting on the runway, and there are three flights in line ahead of yours for takeoff.The plane speeds up a little bit, and you think it’s time to finally take off. But…no. That was a tease.
4.) “Those flight attendants are beautiful”
Sometimes, you have to remind yourself to blink, because you’re staring in awe at the flight attendants. They all have the best outfits, their hair is neat, and if they were the single representation of the country they’re flying from, it would be okay. They manage to do one of the most stressful jobs in the world, while still wearing a smile. You aspire to be like them, but then remember you can’t wait to get off this plane.
5.) “Can she put her seat back ANY further?!”
So, you’re glad that one horrible lady harassing the flight attendant isn’t sitting next to you, but there’s another of her kind sitting in front of you; or rather, on top of you. You don’t want to put your seat back because you don’t want to be that person, either, but you have no choice. You can’t even open your tray table. Why do the seats even go back that far?
6.) “When is this plane gonna land?”
Whether it’s a 1 hour flight or a 12 hour flight, you’ve lost track of time and really want to know how long it’s going to be until you land. You try to fall asleep, or pick two movies to watch…because two movies is about four hours long and by then you’ll have surely arrived…
7.) “I hope I’m not carrying anything illegal…”
It’s time to fill out the customs arrival form, and some of the questions are so crazy that you wonder if you actually might be carrying something you’re not supposed to. “Is there a potential disease I might have?” “Do I have to declare this bag of nuts?” “Gee, I wish I had $10,000 on my person…”
Flying can be stressful, but at least you’re not the only one who has thoughts like these.
Author’s Bio: Hana LaRock is originally from New York, though has called other places around the world her home for the last two years. She currently lives in South Korea as an English teacher and freelance travel writer. When she’s not working, she enjoys writing, reading, spending time with her dog, and of course, traveling. You can find her at www.hanalarockwriting.com.
