You’re finally on-board your international flight for your volunteering trip abroad!

OK……Now what? How are you going to pass the time on the flight?

Actually we should say “flights” plural,  because most of our volunteers need at least two flights to reach one of our volunteer destinations

And some of the flights can be over ten hours in the air. For example, if you are flying to Ghana from California, you will typically fly five hours to the East Coast to New York or Atlanta, then connect for your nine-hour flight to Accra.

Here are some ways for you deal with all this flight time!

1. The Usual Suspects.

Sleeping, reading, movies, music, journaling, and drawing. Also, more and more airlines — especially outside the US — are offering in-flight Internet access.

2. Mimic your destination’s time zone.

Stay awake and sleep according to the time zone in your destination. This will help you recover from any jet lag symptoms, allowing you to adjust more quickly to the local time zone.

3. Talk to fellow passengers.

Shy? Intimidated by all those accents, saris, hijabs, or African headdresses of your fellow passengers? So what! Get over yourself :=).  Smile and say hello to people. Resist the temptation to put your ear buds in and consciously cut yourself off from the other passengers. Perhaps you’ll make a new friend, and maybe learn about your destination – especially if the folks you talk to are returning home.

4. Look out the window!

You are 30,000+ feet above the earth! Isn’t is amazing to see the clouds, stars, the moon, the ocean, even other planes from this perspective? You’re traveling perhaps half-way around the world in less than 24 hours. These things were unfathomable to humans not even a century ago. Consider yourself very fortunate.

5. Take photos and videos.

Capture yourself, the scenery out the window, perhaps even a new friend(s). You might not realize it now, but looking at these photos and images after the trip – especially after many years – will keep your memories of this special trip alive and vivid for you and others.