Getting Through Long Flights

We've all been there.  Bored out of our minds on a flight and many hours to go.  Italy is always my long haul, at 8 or 9 hours going and usually 10 coming back.  I love flying, I don't have anxiety or anything, but I get bored after about 2 hours.  So, how can we fight the boredom?  Here's a few of my tricks.

1)  Coloring books.  Yes, coloring books.  It sounds silly, but these are a great way to get through a long flight! Before a trip, I usually make a stop at the store and pick up a Disney or Barbie coloring book and a new pack of crayons.  I love to draw and color and it's nice to be able to get lost in a nostalgic childhood activity for a while.  I never get any weird looks for being an adult with a Barbie coloring book, but even if I did, let them look!  Because in the end, you're the one who's entertained, and they're the ones wishing they brought crayons too!

2)  Books.  I'm an avid reader, and plane time is a great time to catch up on my reading.  If you've been busy with work or school and would like to get lost in a book but haven't had the time, this is it!  I tend to read classics on flights, like The Moonstone, or She and I have no idea why lol it just became a thing I do.  This is also a great time to look over travel books and pick out what you want to see, or study maps a little bit, which is something I always do

3)  Sleep...if you can sleep.  I can never sleep on outgoing flights (going to my vacation destination I mean) because I am usually too excited.  I have tried everything to put myself to sleep including Melatonin, staying up all night the night before the flight (bad idea- I looked a mess and still didn't sleep!), getting too much sleep before a flight (you know how sometimes too much sleep makes you tired?), booze on the plane, booze before the plane, nothing works!  However, on returning flights (going home) I usually sleep the entire way!  I have no explanation for this.  Sleep is probably the best way to get through the flight if you can manage to go out

4)  The in-flight movies.  This sounds obvious, but honestly, I never used to really pay attention to these until I realized that if you watched about 2 of them your flight would be nearly over.  Give them a try if you haven't!

5)  Drawing/writing.  I never travel without a notebook for doodles and poems.  I get the most inspiration when I am forced to stay in one place and think, so a lot of my writing is done on planes

6)  Skincare.  I'm a beauty junkie, so I'm going to do a separate post on this, but protecting your skin against the gross plane air can definitely be time consuming, relaxing, and a nice distraction

Paris Plans

During my upcoming trip to London, my friend and I will also be taking a short trip to Paris for three days!  I am really excited to get back to Paris, as it is a city that I know and love very well.  As some of you know, I have family and friends in France, and have spoken both English and French for most of my life.  I spent a month in Paris in 2010, and hope to move there in the future, possibly even as soon as next year!  With that said, my Paris plans are a little different than my London ones.  I won't be playing tourist on this trip since I was fortunate enough to see most of the major sights when I was there a few years ago.  My friend has also been there once before and seen the main sights as well, so we decided we would focus on some smaller things.  We will of course be doing some major sights, it is Paris after all, but we want this to be a relaxing exploration trip rather than a rushed tourist type thing.  I love to return to places that I've already been, because you get the chance to see a different version of the place, and perhaps find those little details you may have missed on your initial visit.  I'll be playing the main tour guide in Paris, and so far our small list of sights includes:

-Catacombs (excited, and never actually did these, I could never get there on time!)
-Notre Dame
-Musée Cognacq-Jay
-Dinner or lunch at Verjus
-Lots of shopping! Au Bon Marché, Printemps, Galeries Lafayette
-Wandering around Saint-Germain, my old neighborhood
-Musée Edith Piaf, if we can make a reservation

We've rented an apartment in Bastille, so we will be close to the nightlife, and I've bee craving some Bastille nights lately so I am super excited!  I'll definitely be reviewing a lot of bars and clubs on this short trip!  Until then, 2 of my favorite Parisian bars are-

The Long Hop, Latin Quarter, 25 Rue Frédéric Sauton.  Great for meeting fellow students/younger people.  Really friendly place.  Last time I was there there was a round of beer pong played with actual glasses...yeah the table collapsed and everything broke!

Le Fanfaron, Bastille, 6 Rue de la Main d'Or

London Plans

The countdown has begun! 27 days until I leave for England!  I will be gone for two weeks, staying with one of my best friends who has been studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts since last September.  This will be my third trip to the UK and third time at Heathrow (a post on Heathrow will be coming up), but I have actually never been to England itself other than for changing planes.  I often travel alone, and over the years I've come to really enjoy that, but I always felt that London was too big a city for me to explore on my own.  I don't discourage anyone from doing it, I'm a big advocate of solo travel! but this is just me.  So obviously when I found out my friend would be studying there, I jumped at the chance to go and stay with her.  One of my favorite things to do before a trip is make a list of sights I want to see or things I want to do, so here is my preliminary London itinerary!

-Jack the Ripper Tour (I am obsessed with Jack the Ripper, I even dressed up as him one Halloween)
-Harry Potter studio set!
-Buckingham Palace
-National Gallery
-Victoria & Albert Museum
-British Museum
-Hyde Park
-Tower of London
-London Eye
-Some type of ghost tour (these are my favorite, I do them in every city that offers one)

As for shopping, I am really anxious to hit up Topshop and Dorothy Perkins as well as the big department stores such as Harrod's and Selfridges.  We have had Topshop in the US for quite a few years now but it's never the same as it is when I go to one in the UK.  When I was in Scotland in 2008 (before Topshop launched here) I literally ran into the store, umbrella flailing everywhere, and just stood there with a ridiculously excited look on my face.  It was heaven!

I am also really excited to experience some London nightlife, and here I feel I must digress for a second to talk about my "mission statement" for this blog-  I have always loved to go out.  Some people are foodies, I am a nightlife junkie.  Growing up in the US where we aren't allowed into clubs and bars before 18 and aren't allowed to drink before 21, nightlife accessibility always made Europe that much more of a Wonderland for my teenage self, and I fell in love with nocturnal Europe.  A city doesn't stop existing when evening falls.  Going out during the day only shows one half of a place, and the other half is revealed at night, hidden within a city's bars and venues.  I love to experience what a night out is in different cities, whether it's Rome where we (I lived in Sicily for a time, so I always include myself as a "we" when it comes to Italians) go to at least three different bars before going to a club and finally roll home when the sun is rising, or Dublin, where a great night includes several rounds of Guinness, live music, and great conversation.  I love to make new friends, and they are always found in abundance at night. I plan on dedicating separate posts to the various bars and clubs that I visit on on my journeys in hopes that others who enjoy nightlife can get a good feel for the vibe of city.  I love travel forums and websites, but oftentimes they do not offer enough information on nightlife, and I feel that the field can use a little more attention.  I love history and museums and art and I will post on these, but museums are not open all night, and for those of us who tend to stay up later and like to go out, I'd like to suggest some places where one can go and have a great night, or what places to avoid.  If you're interested in leaving the ordinary city for a while, grab a pint, and follow me down the rabbit hole...

Bientôt de retour!

I haven't posted in forever, but I hope to share pics of my upcoming vacation next month to London and Paris!  Can't wait to get back to Paris and have some good nights out in Bastille!