How to survive long trips
Anyone doing a bit of travelling will at some stage encounter the tediously long bus-, train-, car- or airplane sessions. You can usually amuse yourself looking at the movie screen that’s stuck in front of your nose in a plane, but it’s much harder in a rocking bus or shaking train. No need to panic, there are plenty of ways to make those eight hours more fun.
Podcasts
My big discovery during my Rio vacation were podcasts, audio series or digital radio programs, which you can subscribe to and I have turned me into an Serial addict. A true story about a murdered teenager in Baltimore, and the person, who, after being arrested and locked up for the last 15 years still claims he is innocent. You learn all about the case in 12 episodes, the fairly weak evidence of the the State, the holes in the defence and the confusion that takes place when an apparently good boy suddenly gets arrested for premeditated murder. Seriously, download this stuff, it’s awesome and you’ll look forward to sitting in a bus for four hours so that you can listen to how things pan out.
Audio books
Another option besides podcasts are audio books, listen to a book instead of reading a book. I personally turn green after 5 minutes of reading in a car so an audio book is ideal. Sometimes you get the choice between different voices so if the one talking doesn’t suit you, you can easily choose another.
Order and sort your photos
Another hobby of mine. I have made sorting out the million trillion photos I take a day with my iPhone into folders a hobby. I choose the best from the bursts and then edit the others until they look fabulous. The downside is that you don’t get to see any of the countryside that you may be travelling through, but oh well leave looking out the window to the philosophers.
Repack the contents of your bag
The longer you’re travelling, the more chaotic your bag becomes. Or is that just me? Time to sort that out. Sort out all the pockets and put all the appropriate things back where they belong, throw away receipts and other waste and generally repack so you can find everything again. Also a good time to check if any holes have formed in the lining of your bag. Those are horribly dangerous and might end up swallowing your credit cards or keys.
Go to sleep
Yes, go to sleep. You will more than likely be tired and every hour of sleep is a good. I seldom fly without sleeping pills and if I’ve been blessed with a reasonably comfortable bus, I immediately close my eyes and try to catch up on some long lost sleep.
