Write What You Know: International Travel

So I made this post kind of randomly...and I only just realized that it has been almost exactly a year since I went to Europe.

Huh.

• Guys. You may know how long an international flight is... (To Europe could be anywhere from 6-11 hours. And to Australia from the US? UPWARDS OF 20 HOURS) But unless you're sitting there, do you REALLY know HOW LONG THAT IS? I know when I went over I was like, "Pssh. 9 hours? We drive that all the time to visit my grandparents."
  WELL GUESS WHAT.
  IT'S A HECK OF A LOT LONGER WHEN YOU'RE NOT STOPPING EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE AT GAS STATIONS TO GET OUT, STRETCH YOUR LEGS AND BUY MORE SNACKS!
   
• What I'm trying to say is yes. A lot of things can happen and a lot of time can pass in your story.
   
• And lets not even get started on the airport and layovers and GASP. DELAYED FLIGHTS.
   
• But back to the plane...Is the flight during the day? (In which case they may arrive in the city after dark) Or is it overnight? In which case, do they sleep? You might be tempted to say, why yes! Of course, they sleep! Who wouldn't sleep!
  (Me
  I didn't sleep.
  I was basically the only person awake on the plane (I hope the pilots were awake...) It was too dark to read and I didn't want to turn on a light and mess with everyone lucky enough to sleep...so I just watched movies over and over.)
   
• The only thing I had to break up the hours of sitting was occasionally walking back to the bathroom. On the bouncing plane. After I'd been sitting and not moving for HOURS. Of course, I didn't fall on anyone...but wouldn't that be a perfect meet-cute?
   
• Speaking of watching movies and meet-cutes...Person A could start watching a movie like "Eh. I've never seen this, but I've heard it's good..." And Person B could turn from the next seat or appear over the seat in front like, "YOU'VE NEVER SEEN ----?"
   
• Or Person A could be sitting next to Person B, sadly shaking they're head. "You have a terrible taste in movies, you know that?"
   
• "Are any of the characters afraid of flying" is an easy question. But who is the annoying person who is super excited to fly? Like, practically bouncing in their seat because their monkey brain is just going "PLANE IS GOING TO GO FAST! AND UP HIGH! I LIKE BEING UP HIGH! AND GOING FAST!"
  No? That's not a thing?
  Just me?
   
• Ok, how about the person that is completely unphased by turbulence?
   
• THE FOOD. Either its made differently, called by a "weird" name, or whatever, food is different around the world.
   
• Language barrier
   
• Being lost and/or confused. The bus pass machine works HOW? The train is WHERE? I can't find MY train. There are a lot of trains here. And people everywhere. And IS THAT A PASTRY?

-MK