BIG GIRL TIME

If there is one thing I have learned from traveling, it is that a long-haul flight is an experience you need to prepare for. I have taken 22 flights between last year and this year alone, including long trips to Italy and Indonesia, and somewhere along the way I have become pretty comfortable with spending eight, ten, fifteen, or even more hours sitting in an airplane. And let me be clear: I still don’t love being trapped in a metal tube for half a day. But I have figured out a few things that make the experience significantly more comfortable.

Long-haul flights can be exciting because they usually mean you’re going somewhere amazing, but getting there can feel like a whole journey in itself. You’re sitting for hours, the lighting is weird, you’re surrounded by people, you’re probably watching way too much TV, and your body eventually starts asking, “Are we still doing this?” So if you have a long flight coming up, here are some of the things I personally swear by.

Invest in a REALLY Good Neck Pillow

Let me start with what might be my most important long-haul flight purchase: the Cabeau Travel Neck’s Evolution TNE S3 Supportive Memory Foam Travel Pillow.

I am not exaggerating when I say this thing is magical.

A lot of travel pillows look cute and seem like a good idea until you actually try to sleep with one on a plane. Your head still falls forward, your neck still hurts, and you wake up wondering why you thought you could sleep sitting upright. The Cabeau pillow is different because it actually gives your neck and head support while keeping your head from constantly bobbing around with its chin strap.

The part I love most is the strap system that attaches to your airplane seat. It keeps the pillow in place and gives you that extra support around your neck, so you aren’t fighting gravity for eight hours. It genuinely creates the feeling that you’re leaning back and laying down a little more than you actually are. Obviously, you’re still sitting in an airplane seat, but anything that tricks my body into thinking I’m slightly more comfortable is a win in my book. If you’re someone who struggles to sleep on planes, this is one thing I would absolutely recommend investing in.

Cabeau Travel Neck’s Evolution TNE S3 on Amazon

Bring an Eye Mask

Sleeping on an airplane is already difficult enough, and then you have to contend with everyone else’s idea of what time it is. The cabin is dark, you’re finally comfortable, and then somebody decides they need to turn on their overhead light at 3:00 in the morning.

An eye mask solves that problem immediately.

The one I personally like is the FengXinZi Sleep Mask, especially because it is designed with enough space around the eyes that I find it works well when I’m wearing lashes. It blocks out the light extremely well, which is exactly what I want when I’m trying to convince my body that it is nighttime even though I’m somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean.

FengXinZi Sleep Mask on Amazon

Don’t Forget to Hydrate

Airplane cabins can leave me feeling DRY. Dry lips, dry skin, dry throat…just generally like I’ve been sitting in the desert for eight hours.

That’s why I like bringing hydration or electrolyte packets with me. One of my favorites lately has been TREVI Electrolytes Powder Packets, because they’re easy to throw into my carry-on and mix into water during the flight. I swear there is something about drinking one during a long flight that makes me feel like I’ve returned to my body after sitting in the same chair for eight hours.

Of course, water is still important too. I try not to rely on one electrolyte packet as a substitute for drinking enough fluids throughout the flight. Think of it as something convenient to add to your travel routine rather than your entire hydration strategy.

TREVI Electrolytes Powder Packets on Amazon

GET UP FROM YOUR SEAT

This one is not optional for me anymore. Get up and walk around. On a long-haul flight, I try to get out of my seat and move around about every couple of hours when it’s safe and practical to do so. Yes, I understand that if you’re sitting in the window seat, this can feel like a personal inconvenience to everyone in your row. But honestly? They’ll survive.

You’ve been sitting in essentially the same position for hours, and getting up, stretching your legs, and walking around can help you feel much less stiff and uncomfortable. Movement during long periods of sitting is also an important part of reducing your risk of blood clots during travel.

And honestly, sometimes I don’t even walk around because I need anything. I just need to remember that I have a body attached to me. You get so comfortable sitting there watching movies that you can forget you’ve been stationary for eight hours. So get up. Stretch. Walk to the bathroom. Walk down the aisle when appropriate. Move your ankles and legs while you’re seated. Your body will thank you.

Bring Something Physical to Do

This is one I’ve really started appreciating. It is SO easy to get trapped in the electronic cycle on a long flight. I’ll watch a movie, then another movie, then play games on my phone, then scroll through something, then eventually pull out the mysterious Nintendo Switch that I apparently only remember exists when I’m extremely bored. Before I know it, I’ve spent hours staring at screens.

And while in-flight entertainment is obviously part of the fun, I don’t want my entire flight to consist of screens. Especially when you’re sitting in dim airplane lighting, staring at a screen for hours can leave your eyes feeling exhausted.

So now I like to bring something physical to do. A crossword puzzle, a coloring book, a journal, a physical book, anything that doesn’t require a screen. It gives your brain a different kind of stimulation and breaks up the monotony of watching another movie just because you don’t know what else to do.

Bring the Blue-Light Glasses

And since we’re talking about screen time, let’s talk about blue-light glasses. If I’m going to spend hours watching movies, playing games, scrolling, or working on my laptop, I like having my blue-light glasses with me. They are an easy thing to throw into my travel bag, and they give me another way to be mindful of how much screen time I’m getting during the flight. I’m not saying they’re going to magically make eight hours of screen time good for your eyes, because girl, eight hours of staring at a screen is still eight hours of staring at a screen.

That’s exactly why I pair them with the physical activities, looking away from my screen, closing my eyes, and taking breaks throughout the flight.

Long-Haul Flights Don’t Have to Be Miserable

After 22 flights in two years, I’ve learned that the key to surviving a long-haul flight isn’t finding one magical product that makes the experience perfect. It’s creating a little routine that keeps your body, mind, and comfort in mind.

Get comfortable. Hydrate. Move around. Give your eyes a break. Find something to do that doesn’t involve a screen. And most importantly, remember that the flight is temporary. Because eventually, the wheels touch the ground, the seatbelt sign turns off, and you get to step into a completely new place.

And when the destination is Bali or Italy?

I’ll happily sit in that airplane seat for 12 hours.

Happy travels, Big Girls!