The First Down Under Post

I’m off to New Zealand and Australia for a month. I’m hoping to write at least every other day. 

First I need to discuss for my own personal reference how I survived 22 hours of flights or 30 hours of traveling including airport meandering.

First off, failing to plan is planning to fail. Preparation: 

The day of my flight I fit in as much exercise as much as possible. I ran four miles in the morning then did over an hour of yoga in the airport waiting for my first flight. 

My yoga alley at the airport

Downloading yoga videos in advance is helpful. I practiced the act of not sitting down whatsoever unless on a plane.  I paced the airport, stretched, did yoga, or just stood in place. 

I also recommend running a few of those Ragnar races, though not immediately prior to your trip. These races will prepare you for not sleeping/sleeping in ridiculous positions while wet and sweaty. As I write this it is Tuesday night in Auckland. I have not slept in a bed since Saturday night and I think I'm o.k.

When you check in to the airport:

1. Ask if they flight is full. If it’s not request a seat with no one next to you. The extra seat allowed me to sleep in a fetal position for eight hours. If the flight is especially light, after the seatbelt light goes off people will grab their bags like zombies and stake out the best empty seat parcels establishing their new territories. I wasn’t prepared for the zombie appocolyspse re-seating plan so I was too late to grab a three seater situation for myself. However, I was grateful for the extra seat I already had. Next time I'm going for a three seater situation.

Bring with you:

Lotion, lip balm, a single serving freeman’s cucumber peeling mask, toothbrush and paste, floss, drugs to help you sleep, and a warm sweater.

Things not to stress about (if flying Qantas)

1. Your phone losing its charge. There are USBs in the arm rests.

2. Food. They give you two meals, plenty of snacks and the options were suitable for a picky health nut. That said I packed extra fruit and a salad to eat at the airport between flights. 

3. Water. These people were serious about hydration. In addition to water they offered a variety of other beverages including giant french presses of tea and coffee. 

4. Bringing enough entertainment. Every seat had a t.v. with a large selection of movies, t.v., radio and games. I never even watched a movie on my personal computer nor used it until there were two hours left in my flight when I decided to write this blurb.

5. Claustrophobia. I was apprehensive that I’d get on the plane and immediately freak out. Ah, the old freak out about freaking out..  However, I was immediately awed by the spaciousness of the aircraft. The ceilings were high, every seat had a t.v. and there were an absurd amount of bathrooms. In addition, the plane was two levels. I used the stairs at the back of the plane to do deep leg stretches every time I went to the bathroom. 

6. Mean flight attendants. These flight attendants were so nice. Throughout the flight I was called darling and doll just to name a few. One flight attendant even tried to take a piece of my face mask out of my hair that he thought was dead skin. 

Things you should stress about:

1. Staying hydrated. I set a quota of 60 ounces of water for each half of the trip. The air is dry and dehydration can contribute to the formation blood clots.

2. Moving throughout the flight to stay loose and prevent blood clots. As a former cardiovascular ICU nurse I have an extra paranoia of blood clots. In fact, in preparation for my trip I took a baby aspirin every day, and will continue to take them for the week after I land and will repeat this process before I fly home. The flight magazine has a guide to little stretches you can do while in your chair to prevent clots. In preparation I worked with one of my yoga teachers on something we called “plane yoga”. This prep was helpful as well. 

Methods for wasting time on a 17 hour flight:

While waiting for the planes to take off I did the crosswords. 

I spent the first hour piddling around and situating myself. 

Then I watched a movie. At the end of the movie I took a sleeping pill and started a new movie. An hour into the movie I lay down with my headphones and looped a soft background music song from my phone. I set it real low just to drown out the crying babies. By some christmas miracle I pissed away 9 hours sleeping. 

I woke up put on my mask brushed my teeth and had some breakfast. I started a new movie, and then poof! I was in Sydney. 

Note to self: Finish the last 40 minutes of the Walk the Line movie about Johnny Cash and June Carter. Note to anyone: Michelle Williams does a damn fine impersonation of Marilyn Monroe. The Bridges of Madison County is a sad but great movie. Clint Eastwood is the bomb.

Things I should have brought in my carry on:

1. Deodorant. 24 hours with one application of aluminum free deodorant doesn’t cut it. 

2. Change of clothes

I found a vending machine in Sydney full of potions promising no swollen ankles for $17 a pop. I did not have any swollen ankles so save your money and follow my exercise advice. 

Sydney Airport First Impressions

Posh. International. Definitely feel as though Asia is close by. United Arab Emirates have beautiful flight attendant costumes. Australians are capitalizing off their cute animals and are selling kangaroo pelts. Yuck!

I had to check in for my connecting New Zealand flight. I was curious if I’d be on a little puddle jumper so I asked the clerk if I’d be flying on a small plane. He smiled, “No, it’s the biggest plane in the world”. I asked if he was joking and he said he wasn’t. I’m curious to see if this plane is actually larger than the plane I just debarked from which I had took to be the largest in the world. 

Update. United Arab Emirates does own the biggest plane in the world. It is full of plush pink seats and a grand staircase leading directly to 1995. The flight attendants were the nicest I've ever met. 

Double Update. I'm now in Auckland. It is beautiful, sunny and a cross between Miami and a quant New England fishing town. Or Maybe like a warm and sunny Seattle? People are nice. I got to know the bus driver and he gave me free rides. Strangers helped me to disassemble my phone so I could insert a Sim card. It's insanely expensive. Apples are $6 a pound.

Auckland Santa

Annoyed Auckland Kitty Wants In

It's dark now so I'm going to bed. To Rotorua tomorrow.