The Longest Journey in Clouds

The longest time I was on air was about 9 to 10 hours I think. So when It came down to flying to Dallas from Doha in a 16+ hours Qatar flight, the natural conclusion was- this is going to be different. What do you typically think of when you are flying on a long journey by air? Let’s try to put all the different thoughts penned down here.

1. Goodbyes. You will be thinking about the pictures you have taken with people who came to see you off. Since the phone will be on airplane mode, it’s only eminent that you would watch them over and over. You will still wonder if better pictures could have been shot though. Probably listen to the song that chirps “Memories bring back memories” while pondering over hugs and kisses missed, words untold and regrets.
2. Toilet. Since it’s a long journey, you might be thinking about the toilet situation for a significant amount of time. The more claustrophobic you are, the more you will think about it. Quick tip- some planes have a couple of types of toilets- one a bit larger than the other one. Do have an eye out for those. Also, to avoid large queues, go when the windows are shut and most people are sleeping.
3. Lost Planes. Depending on how much of a planner you are, or how much of an overthinker you are, you will think about the last plane that got lost. What was the airline again? How many people were lost? Where was it? They never got to the black box of the plane, since it hasn’t been found in the first place, right? What if this flight faces the same consequences? It’s not like the rate of planes getting lost is 0%, right? What is it? 0.001%, or less?
4. TV shows or movies. So much time, so little to do. Do you aim to finish a season of the tv shows that are available on the entertainment system? Maybe not the wisest idea, since you might keep some time for other things too. Maybe movies it is. If it is movies, be careful so that you be mindful about trying out unknown movies. I couldn’t finish my second one and it was a bad experience. You better stick to the titles you have heard of before.
5. Clouds and places. You watch the map visual on the screen where it shows that you are flying over various countries and you want to take a glimpse at them. Most of the time you are over the clouds, so you can’t see the landscape. But who knows? Maybe you dig clouds, or maybe you are happy just by watching the landscape that is visible from the sky!
6. Transit! Do you have a connecting flight after this? Please think about it only before you land, because if you think too much, you will end up checking the watch every now and then and worrying about it like me. If your previous flight was delayed, it’s only natural that you would have to rush after the plane lands to catch the next one. Better check the clocks just before landing to save yourself from a great worrying endeavor.
7. Dreams. Depending on how many hours you sleep, you will encounter dreams. They can be pretty weird at times. For example, I just saw my plane making a super quick descent all of a sudden. There were no emergency alerts but all of a sudden it started coming down at pace. It was coming down so fast that I couldn’t even manage to get the life jacket out. I thought it was going to crash or meet some horrid conclusion like that, maybe the pilot was trying to get it in the water? Damn, I need that jacket! In no time the plane touched the land. It was a sort of hilly highway with traffic and the landing was bumpy yet good considering it was an emergency landing. Maybe they are trying to cool it off and fix it after landing? The game wasn’t over yet as the pilot had to avoid the wings from touching the vehicles coming from the other end. The maneuver was just like a video game. Well. all of it felt like a video game, except the next part when the plane came to a stop. All hell broke loose as people started trying to rush to exit, for obvious reasons. It felt so real, and with much struggle, I got out with my backpack. As soon as I stepped outside the plane, I remembered something. I have forgotten my cabin luggage. It remained inside the plane. I glanced around for signs of fire but there wasn’t any. At least not in my eye vision. I made the decision and tried to go back but they wouldn’t let me in. The next part is a blur. I remember rooms being closed. I do remember that there was a train that I was chasing. Apparently, the plane wouldn’t start anymore. So they were getting all the passengers on a train. I rushed towards it as soon as I heard the news. But when it came into my sight it was already running. The chase began! I need to get on that train! I tried and ran hard, only to come short. The dream ended abruptly. Why doesn’t the journey by air end abruptly? Only good things can have an expiry date maybe.