by Fred Jung

Created on: January 25, 2009

Oh-no! You have to wait a long time during a layover between flights. You think to yourself how bored you will be and that you will go crazy watching strange-looking people going off to unknown destinations. You feel like you are going to scream. You start to pull your hair.

Relax.

It is a natural part of traveling by plane. The direct flights are too expensive or not possible if you are traveling far and with so many destinations for planes to fly to, there can't always be a short transition between flights. Never fear if you can plan for the inevitable long layover.

Technology has improved over the years. You no longer have to carry a 20 lb boom box to listen to your music anymore. You can listen to them on your MP3 players like the iPod or a phone that is equipped as an MP3 player like the iPhone. They weigh less than a pound. So you can listen to random music or you can play only your favorite songs. A long layover would be a good time to listen to Mozart's Requiem Mass in D minor in its entirety or Pink Floyd's Dark Side of Moon while imagining the movie Wizard of Oz and making you wonder why that is so freaky. With a MP3 player, you can listen to podcasts or watch videos as well.

If you have a laptop, that would be the best thing to bring with you on your flight. You can do everything on it. You can play games, listen to music, write your latest novel. You can also take it with you to a place that has wi-fi like a coffee shop and surf the web or email people while waiting for the flight to come.

But you don't have to have the latest in technology to entertain yourself. A good book is a good thing. In this busy world, people don't spend enough time to read books. You can finally finish the Lord of the Rings or figure out what is all the hoopla with the Twilight books. If you want to be productive, you can read books that teach you things like cooking or how to be a rich dad and not be a poor dad.

Another that you can do is what I like to do. I bring a small sketchbook and pen and just draw people waiting for their flights especially the ones that are pulling their hair and going crazy from boredom. It can be a game because people might get up and leave just as you are half way through. I draw as much as I can in a short time and if they don't move from their seat, then I start to refine the drawing more. It is a good way to find the artist in you and a good way to keep your hands occupied. Idle hands are the devil's playthings and the devil might be waiting for the same flight as you.

But if your short attention span makes you forget to bring things for the layover, do not fear. Airports aren't like prisons. Well not anymore. These days, an airport is practically a mall. You can eat at the food court instead of eating airplane food if they still serve even that. There are shops to browse and even to buy things. However, buying things is not always a good idea if you don't have the room in your bags. You would look funny dragging a 4-foot tall plush toy you just bought for your daughter onto the plane. You can read books and magazines at the bookstore, too.

You see, don't look at a long layover as punishment your airline is giving you for all the white lies you have told in your life, but as an opportunity to do the things you never really had the time to do in your busy life. Life is short, enjoy your leisure time as best as you can. Happy travels.

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