Whoever said “It’s not about the destination. It’s the journey” never flew on a long haul flight. Those flights can be painful, tiresome, jet-lagging, and not to mention absolutely boring despite whatever Disney movie is playing above you on the TV screen. As someone who has flown from Europe to the USA countless times, I’ve picked up some tips and tricks on flying long haul. Here are my tips.
Bring a scarf or jacket.
A scarf especially can act as a blanket or pillow during your long haul flight. Nowadays it’s becoming less common to have a blanket included on your flight, and sometimes the cabin doesn’t even have enough for everyone. The best advice is to bring something functional just in case because flights can get quite chilly. A relatively thick, large scarf will almost always do the job.
Pack a memory foam neck pillow.
Once again, you want to be comfortable on your flight and no matter if you’re in the window, aisle, or middle seat, a memory foam neck pillow will make it all the more comfortable and relaxing for you.
Tip: Some people are hesitant to pack a neck pillow because of space. But most neck pillows have a snap closure, meaning you can easily snap it onto your carry on handle or strap it to your personal item. When it doubt, you can always wear it around your neck. No shame.
Bring an eye mask for sleeping.
If you’re flying through the day, an eye mask will be extremely helpful in getting some relatively normal shut-eye. If you’re flying on a red eye flight, it’s less necessary, but honestly every little bit helps.
Put headphones and a portable charger in your personal item.
This one is crucial for keeping yourself entertained or productive. Headphones for jamming or listening to podcasts and a portable charger for keeping your mobile devices charged. Sometime flights have the USB port, but you can’t always count on them to be functioning… Yes, I’m serious. Pack headphones, a portable charger, and your cord just in case.
Download podcasts.
Fun, educational entertainment! Podcasts have become one of my favorite pastimes for flying. I just download a few interesting ones before my flight and enjoy them while I’m on board.
Pro Traveler Tip: If you’re traveling somewhere new, I love listening to podcasts about that country or location to start getting inspired and excited about my adventure. You could even download a couple of podcasts that teach you some essential words or phrases in your destination country, too!
In the early 80’s the music of Steve Perry and the group Journey was a part of the fabric of my life. When I remember the high school freshman version of myself. I am sitting in an English class at Lincoln Academy, listening to my teacher Mr. Murphy rattle on about sentence structure. Staring out the window at the rain-soaked soccer field, watching the seagulls fly around and eat worms. My only thought was, “I have four more years of this? I’ll never make it through the boredom.” The Journey song, Don’t Stop Believing always takes me back to that version of myself and the lessons I learned then. I did make it and it wasn’t all that bad. Now those days are just a random memory or two. Thank you, Journey, for all the help along the way.
Don’t Stop Believin’– From the opening notes, this song always makes me feel 15. Even though I have never been to Detroit, and I have never taken the midnight train to anywhere, I can relate to that feeling as a young man. We all have dreams, goals, and things we want to experience in life. I am still chasing my dreams and will continue until the day the game ends. This song was a motivation then and it still is today. There is always a chance to achieve success and get what you want in life. Just Don’t Stop Believing. Working hard to get my fill.Everybody wants a thrill. Payin’ anything to roll the dice, Just one more time. Some will win, some will lose. Some were born to sing the blues. Oh, the movie never ends. It goes on and on and on and on.
Lights– This song takes me to a visit of the 19-year-old version of me. I was living in South Portland, at SMVTI. It was located right on the ocean and at night you had the perfect view of Portland Harbor with all the lights of the city and the boats coming and going along with the lighthouse at Spring Point. It was a time of freedom and growth that only a young man can know. If I only knew how much more I needed to learn then. But youth doesn’t see life that way. It is protected by a lack of experience and a confidence life can take away from you. We were all golden then. When the lights go down in the city. And the sun shines on the bay. I want to be there yeah, in my city. Ooh, ooh. So you think you’re lonely Well, my friend, I’m lonely too. I want to go back to my city by the bay.
Wheel In the Sky– Most functional people set goals and have desires about the things they want to achieve. Sometimes we experience glitches in the system that appear to be setbacks toward our dreams. But when you look at any experience from the end back, you can see how that perceived bad luck actually pushed you toward success. You gained a valuable skill or learned a lesson you needed. That is how the game of life works. The wheel in the sky reminds me of this, to be hopeful in our down times that they will take you where you want to go. It is just not in the fashion you thought you would arrive there. Life is a growth game, it serves people well to remember that. Oh the wheel in the sky keeps on turning I don’t’ know where I’ll be tomorrow.
Feeling That Way– If you have any doubt that Steve Perry’s voice isn’t one of the greatest instruments in music, then listen to this song. When Perry sings his part it grabs you and makes you remember all the times that you were wondering if she was feeling that way about you, or not. This song is a memory of all of those summertime romances. Some were feeling that way and some weren’t. All of the lovely ones that I am thinking of had an impact on me in the best of ways. Take a trip to a memory and listen to this song and appreciate the talent that is and was Steve Perry. When the summer’s gone. She’ll be there standing by the light. What she’s been to, where she’s gone to. She should know wrong from right. Is she feeling? Are you feeling, you feeling that way too? Or am I just, am I just a fool?
Still They Ride– Even though it has been over 30 years since I had my moments of growth at Lincoln Academy. There is still a part of me that is firmly rooted in that community. it takes a short trip to
Midnight train going anywhere
Damariscotta/Newcastle to be flooded with memories of those old times and the people that I shared that experience with. I still see Wright’s Store in my mind, the arcade at Laverdiere’s. Yellowfront Grocery downtown, and a thousand other things that have changed. I don’t want them back because they could never be as good in reality as they seem in my memory. But maybe just for a moment, we can still cruise through town and see those familiar faces one more time. This ol’ town, ain’t the same Now nobody knows his name. Times have changed, still, he rides. Traffic lights, keepin’ time. Leading the wild and restless through the night.
Loverboy by Mike Martin
Today is a good day to pick on my uncle Billy. I coached Madelyn’s softball team this year. I was somewhat hesitant to volunteer my serveries to the team. Madelyn, like her father, is intense. She speaks her mind and is not scared to show her emotions.
These facts left me hesitant to lead the team because I wasn’t sure how Maddy would respond to my leadership style. She responded well and the season was a success, concluding with a playoff victory and a sleepover birthday party.
After our playoff win, the Superstars (the name the 9 and 10-year-old team members decided to call our team) were all recognized for a prominent trait they had shown over the course of the season.
We, the coaches of the Belgrade Superstars, gave each team member a team photo with a certificate, an award thanking them for their commitment and dedication. Superstars were recognized for loyalty, leadership, dedication, confidence, courage, positive attitude, and other qualities that they brought to our team. Maddy was recognized for her passion.
Passion is a Martin family tradition and every time I watched Maddy respond passionately to a circumstance created from her involvement on the team. I would think of my uncle Billy.
Bill Martin is a passionate man. When I was young, I spent much time with my uncle. He is someone that can be counted on. He was always available for the loan of a car or a ride to the concert. (Or a ride home from California but that is a story for another day)
Loverboy is a Canadian rock band formed in 1979 in Calgary, Alberta. Throughout the 1980s, Loverboy accumulated numerous hit songs in Canada and the United States, earning four multi-platinum albums and selling millions of records.
In 1982, Loverboy was extremely popular, and when they were scheduled to play at the Augusta Maine Civic Center during the summer of 1982, all my friends wanted to go. I could have found another ride to the show, but my uncle Billy volunteered to be our chaperon, so I had to accept his offer
I was thankful for the ride, but my uncle, my cousin Heidi and our friend Lisa Rowe were ready to leave long before I was. I am not sure how Heidi and Lisa found me during Loverboy’s performance, but they did, so I had to leave early. Just like I’m ending this post early because Jon Hilton is in a hurry because he is working this weekend vs Working For The Weekend.
Everybody’s working for the weekend
Everybody wants a little romance
Everybody’s goin’ off the deep end
Everybody needs a second chance, oh
You want a piece of my heart
You better start from start
You wanna be in the show
Come on baby lets go
Loverboy – Turn Me Loose
I was born to run
I was born to dream
The craziest boy you ever seen
I gotta do it my way
Or no way at all
Please, have a great day, and if you have any questions, drop us a line and please partake in #OctoberNostalgicMusicMonth and while you are at it take a trip to Greenville, Maine-I understand the foliage is majestic this time of year! #visitGreenville
1981, Just a small town girl, living in a lonely world…………
I have made a commitment to contribute more often on my blog so here is a first entry. In the past I have been writing about a lot of things that are deep on my mind. Since I have found other outlets for the real deep thoughts, I think that my daily observations are what you are going to get.
Today’s observation is a real appreciation for the voice of Steve Perry who used to be the lead singer of Journey when they were awesome. I have always known what a vocal weapon he possessed but after being inundated with lesser voices over the years, I heard an old journey song today that just highlighted what an instrument of magic his voice was. Check out the video below and listen for the moment when old Steve kicks in. It is amazing! Give it a listen. I double dog dare you!
What is your favorite Journey song? What a trip to the past this music is.
If you knew the world was ending tomorrow, who would you make sure you visited today?
The Mayans thought it was going to happen in 2012, yet here we are!
by Jonathan Hilton Day 54
Knowing the world would end tomorrow would make me want to see a lot of people today, for a number of reasons, but I think that this question is good motivation to look at how we value people and how we let relationships drift away into indifference for a multitude of reasons.
So I am going to split the people into categories and explain the reasons for each. One thing is for sure it would be one busy day.
Family First
First of course there would be family that I would want to see, so that I could make sure that they were ready for the impending destruction. I would want to say thank you for all that you did in my life and that I am very grateful for the kindness and that I love them all very much, ask if there was anything I could do for them on that last day.
Each relationship in that familial web is important and I would hope that I could get to them all. I know how much I miss the ones that are gone already, they are with me every day and I am not sure about what would happen if the world ended, but as long as I was able I would be carrying them with me.
I have a clear conscience in this area
Friendship Is Important
Second I would want to visit all of the friends that I have met over the years to say good bye and reminisce about good times shared, and all of the funny memories we had, so that I could tell them how much I appreciated spending some time on this journey with them.
There are many friends from all of the different phases of my life and I guess I would have to use Skype to talk with some of them, but if I could I would talk to them.
The people I grew up with are as dear to me today as anyone, because there is a shared experience of childhood that could not be faked or manipulated. We knew each other, both the good and the bad, and there was a support and caring there that still exists today. My high school friends shared a different time with me, but still significant. The ties you make as a youth are strong even if you don’t see each other on a regular basis. They don’t break easy.
I went to two different colleges and there are two distinct groups of friends there but they are the people that I really grew up finally with and started to learn about the world. I have nothing but smiles and great times to share just one more time before the world ends.
Then of course as an adult, there were a lot of people I met through the jobs I have had, but not a lot of them were friends, they were coworkers for the most part. These “friendships” were clearly only for a short time and they did teach me something, but it is the past where I have found my true friends.
This One Goes Out To You
Next I would find the three people who I was ever in love with in my life. It might be awkward because I haven’t seen any of them in years. but I would want to tell each of them that regardless of my actions, I take responsibility for them. They had an impact
A nice peaceful place for the end of the world
on me and I have carried it with me for my entire life. Not the bad things but the good times the memories that made me a better person. They still are making me better today. I am grateful that we shared whatever we shared.
Forgive Everyone
Time is getting short so I would want to at least call some people I feel like there are unresolved issues with. To tell them that I forgive them and am sorry for my part in any pain they experienced.
Life is full situations that provide you with a choice, I made some that were universally good and some that might be construed as bad for everyone. Whenever the end does come these petty things are not going to be on my mind. I send best wishes to those who are angry and hope they find happiness before their ending. I forgive them for anything they did to me.
Finally
That being done, if I had any time left I would go to a spot that was special to me, there are several and await the end of the world with anticipation, and not be afraid in the least bit. What good would that do? The world is ending and there isn’t anything you can do about it, might as well enjoy the spectacle.
Is there any other song appropriate for this post?
If you could choose one book as a mandatory read for all high school students, which book would you choose?
Any Book by William George Jordan!
by Jonathan Hilton Day 33
To find a great work of literature that would be appropriate for a high school curriculum would be easy, but my own opinion is that I should choose a book that will foster thought as well as provide a guide on life.
Too much of our school curriculum are designed to teach people how to perform tomorrow, ignoring the here and now.
My choice provides a lot of guidance and information rolled into one fantastic package. Self Control, Its Kingship and Majesty by William George Jordan provides readers with the motivation and inspiration to reach to become better people and to try to understand life that is happening in the here and now. Everyone in the world should read this book and here is why.
Sparks In My Mind
In my own life there have been a lot of important moments and accomplishments, that at the time meant something wonderful. My journey into thought and actually becoming more aware began the day I started to read this book. I had never heard of William George Jordan, most people never have, but that does not make his words any less powerful to digest.
My mind was like an old mansion with a lot of dust on the furniture and cobwebs all over the place because it had never been properly used up to its capacity. The reading of this book was like throwing the windows open and allowing the first cleaning crews in to make the place presentable.
This power of words, has led to further investigation and expansion, that seems to have no end, nor do I want it to. Yet this entire journey would not have been possible without the key the thoughts of William George Jordan gifted to me a hundred years after it was originally published.
Good Seeds Lead to Strong Crops
In any mind, especially the young, what you put into them is going to have a distinct influence on what you are able to yield out of them. Playing video games and watching television are not going to permanently harm anyone, but there is not a lot of thought stimulated by these activities.
Reading this book, really reading and thinking would change lives and allow students to take their minds further, because there is great advice for how to live. This Guidance applies to life today as well as it did to life at the beginning of the 20th Century.
These seeds of thought would be planted and for some they would grow quick and for others it might take years, but if young minds are exposed to high ideas these ideas can’t have anything but a positive effect on people.
Ideas That Transcend Time
The thoughts and writings of William George Jordan really do apply to today as much as they did in 1907. Thinking well of others and becoming aware of how you think are the kinds of Thoughts that will resonate with all people at all times.
For me, I had never comprehended that how I thought was affecting my life and if I didn’t like what was happening in my life then I had to make changes in the way that I was thinking. The idea that I had control over this thought process was empowering and has been the basis of my personal growth.
If I had never read this book, I am not sure that would have happened. Another theme was the crime of the tongue, how gossip is demeaning to all.
Jordan not only states this but goes on to explain in detail why it is so. Another great one is how blind allegiance to duty is not only foolish but unhealthy. Blindly following anything without questioning is not a good way to live your life.
There are many great thoughts like this that I may have heard of before but never had explained to me in an appropriate way. These lessons resonated and pounded my brain like a bell tolling. Think! Think! Think! The dignity of self-reliance, Think! Worry the great American disease, think! Syndicating our sorrows, think! Failure as success, think! The royal road to happiness, think! There is a weight in these thoughts that stays in your mind.
It touched my Soul and Still Does
So many books I have read since that time and learned a lot of different ideas and studied philosophies of life but none had the impact on me personally as the collection of books written by William George Jordan.
It is great advice, great motivation and also inspiration. I feel like the first step that I had in the journey to actively become a better human being stared the moment I started to read the words in this book.
It could only have a positive impact on the lives of others and the best part is that you can get his books digitally for next to nothing.
This is the greatest bargain in the history of man. Incredible knowledge at your disposal and it doesn’t cost a thing.
If you could choose one book as a mandatory read for all high school students, which book would you choose?
It has long been one of my long standing beliefs that people come into your life for a reason and you merely need to allow things to play out to find out why. Sometimes they come in to stay for awhile, and some times they just pop in teach you something and then disappear on down the line.
I have been doing a super secret writing project with Hope Rose of Hope is Something You Can’t Live Without, well at least it is super, not really all that secret. I wanted to take a moment and evaluate our progress. She wanted to write and needed a little push, and I always like projects. So I devised the rules which looking at I have broken all the time, but I never liked rules anyway.
Rules of The Project
Hope writes like a dancing machine. Cheap use of the prompt but a use none the less.
I will provide you with a prompt each day.
You will have a reasonable time to post something,using any creative medium you want, along with your writing. You can take pictures, you can draw pictures, you can paint pictures, you make macaroni pictures, or you can take them from Google, videos from youtube, whatever expresses what you feel inside. I will also complete the assignment. The commitment is for 30 days, that means until March 9.
But there must be writing that answers the prompt.
So we started this journey of very few rules and no real idea of what would come out of it. I am not sure if I expected to write like I was some sort of dancing machine or what, but it has been interesting. I have enjoyed it and I hope that Hope has as well. There are still ten days left as far as I can tell because we missed a few and I see more writing on hope’s blog then there were prompts. But I may be mistaken which one goes with which.
So here are the prompts so far and links to our answers:
Have you ever seen the focus of your life change in thirty days? This is the experience that I have had over the last month as I have looked to improve my writing skill and myself, as a person as well.
This is an evaluation of my project to answer one question each day for thirty days, and to work on putting more of myself into my writing for the purpose of being more honest and open about the things I write about.
The beginning of this project
It began with a conversation with a collaborator who is a great writer and I was wishing that I was more honest in my writing; it was the conversation that led me to see this video on YouTube about this guy who undertook thirty day challenges to work on things he needs to work on. Almost immediately I came across a list of “30 Questions That Will Change the Way you think about the world.” The fact that there weren’t 35, 25 or 50
The beginning of any journey starts with one small step.
questions, led me to believe that this was the project for me.
The rules I developed on the fly, but stuck to them until the end of the project, because I need rules apparently.
Rule #1 – had to answer a question each day and it had to be at least 300 words. Many I could have answered in a sentence, but that wouldn’t have helped develop my thoughts.
Rule #2- I had to share my answers on Facebook, so that someone could read them if they wanted to. This really kept me more diligent and serious; I avoided some wise ass answers, because someone might read it.
Rule # 3- Much like fight club, I couldn’t talk about what I was doing. I posted each question on FB every day, mostly to get some ideas for the days when I was low on creativity. I was interested by the responses, and the different people they came from. I really appreciated the responses from everyone even if there was only one time; I read them all and appreciated it greatly.
I also published my answers on my website www.jonathanhilton.com and they are all there if you check the categories, Thirty Questions will bring them all up.
What Was the Goal of this project?
Answering from the heart was key
The goal of the project was more honesty and putting more of myself into my writing, which I thought was a weakness in my overall writing, it is difficult to put personal things out there, what you believe, what you think, but I think that if you never overcome this, you will be untrue to yourself the rest of your life, so that was the motivation. Most importantly I wanted to be able to write from a place that I didn’t care if someone liked it or not. That it was my answer and that would have to be good enough.
When someone asked me what the questions were about, I told them, if they wanted to know my answer, I directed them to my website. Other than that I simply posted a question in the morning and then answered it on my website. I never looked at the next question until the current question was answered.
The first thing I learned was that my philosophy is developing and that I have a lot of consistency in what I believe in. What I have been working on personally has pervaded my thought and I believe that I have a great start.
Secondly when you ask one question and find an answer to that question, there are always going to be more questions that result from thought and that is ok. The questions were answered and there were always a bunch more that cropped up.
Third, that there are different answers to questions, everyone has a different perspective and opinion and that is ok. All you can do is be open minded, yet faithful to what has been proven to you.
There are a lot of good people in the world and many have been asking themselves questions as well. Others are going to look for their answers in other places and find different behaviors satisfy them and they will find what they need to find in their answers, they may not have the same answers as you.
What Surprised Me?
There have been several neat relationships that have developed through the process of asking questions. Some people that I hadn’t heard from in years were prompted to contact me and see what the heck I was doing. Even with people I see every day it gave me a chance to not only have an opinion but support it and fight for it. My understanding of people is definitely higher, and my understanding of myself really was a surprise.
The many responses I got from such a wide range of people, some serious and some extremely funny, some sad, some just plain old sincere.
Success, Success, Success
The most surprising thing was the freedom that came from just practicing the power of action into this thought process. Creating and producing something that was completely of my own, based on what I believe is liberating. Many people have opinions on everything, but never publish them or have to stand by them which allows for a waffling on the beliefs. I believe that through answering these questions, my thoughts are there to be agreed with disagreed with defended or adjusted as they should be. The biggest surprise was the power of the simple action on my own creativity and understanding of myself and others.
Was it a success?
I think by any measure the process was a success, the questions did actually change the way I looked at the world, and understood other people, so that awareness led to growth, and growing is a good thing. I encourage anyone who has something that they want to work on to adopt a thirty day challenge of your own. You will be surprised how it changes the way you look at the world, it definitely changed my perception of the world and those in it.
I definitely have written from the place inside me that does not care what anyone thinks about what I think or write, which is a major victory for my own self development. I think that if I can do that then everything else will be easy.
What is Next?
Well it is inevitable that one action is going to lead to another, so there are bound to be more of these 30 day challenges, in all areas of my life, in places that I feel I need personal work on. So branching this type of growth out into other aspects of my life is definitely going to be a goal for me. Taking more action to find what I am looking for.
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