by Alicia DeRouski

Created on: October 15, 2009   Last Updated: October 18, 2009

I have learned in my travels that you must plan ahead for a long flight, you MUST have enough reading, Nintendo and sudoku to last, because if you're anything like me you won't get a moment of sleep.

A 36-hour flight can leave you deliriously tired and desperate for distraction, the kind of desperate that can make you drop to your knees and beg the 86 year-old woman next to let you to read her 'Croquet World' magazine. And you do, with Buddhist-like concentration, slowly and artfully flipping through devouring every page, tasting every word.. Croquet World is your mile-high crack cocaine.

So, to save your sanity, here are a few things that have helped me;

LEARN THE LANGUAGE: If you're going to a non-English speaking country, brush up on your foreign language skills, it'll help pass the time and make your travels a lot easier once you land.

READ ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING! Start with your travel guides (I highlight, make notes and re-write, it'll enrich your experience, you'll learn something and most importantly, it passes time) be sure to bring a few novels and magazines, the KINDLE book is a great investment and can hold up to 200 books.

WATCH THE IN FLIGHT MOVE, even if it's a bad Ben Affeck film and you've seen it a hundred times.

GO OVER YOUR ITINERARY again, have your documents ready for landing, be sure of your plans, know where you're going and when. Again, this is a great opportunity to pass the time while doing something productive to make your trip more pleasant.

EAT. This is not the time to feel guilty about comfort eating, calories consumed at 30,000ft don't count. Plane food is known for being horrible, but you can usually find a few small stores at the major airports to grab something to eat - remember, always check with your airlines which foods are permitted on board.

WRITE. Get creative, this could be your chance to write that novel, or to catch up on your journaling, maybe work on your next blog entry.

DRINK. Even the most militant of teatotalers can crack under the pressure of a long flight, especially if you're seated next to a snotty child or a smelly companion, so order up!

.. and if all else fails;

Tap the person next to you, and when they look pretend you're asleep.

Take a sleeping pill and pretend you're on a beach in Rio.

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