The day when your cousin from distant Australia will invite you to visit him will come. Send airplane ticket via DHL, of course, and pocket money via Western Union, for God forbid situations. Although this mission could be extremely complicated  (especially if you did not fly away from Dubrovnik before, or if you do not have a cousin in the country of the kangaroos), it is more than simple. Joking aside, whenever you find yourself in a situation  to go to a  distant journey (Thailand, Vietnam, New York ...), you need to "survive" the trip, as it is about ten or more hours of sitting on an airplane or bus, and waiting on related flights at distant airports I don't even want to talk about. In addition to psychological preparation, be careful what you eat before your trip.

Jet lag

There is no Croatian word for jet lag, and Wikipedia explains that it is about desynchronization in the organism resulting from flying through the weather zone- you are tired, suffering from insomnia ... To alleviate the consequences, it would be desirable to eat foods rich in carbohydrates, integral bread and pasta, because high insulin levels make it easier to switch from one diet and sleep schedule to another. Meals in the airplanes are usually abundant, but just in case, pack some snacks, dried fruit or biscuits in the luggage. Occasionally, unforeseen situations when food is difficult to come by occur (and the companies are more and more savvy on the passengers). Avoid alcohol before the time you leave, so you would not forget where you're traveling, even though it is sometimes difficult to break up from beer and focus on ordinary water that, as you know, can not be worn in a hand luggage, and tea. Forget about coffee, as it also contributes to dehydration of the body. Exercise and stretch every free moment at the airport or on the airplane -  it contributes to better circulation. In addition to food, take and charge the batteries of your electronic devices. They will help you to get through the hours and hours of railroad tracks, roads and jogging through clouds. It's also important to wear proper clothes. At airports you do not have to be dressed like going to the opera or fishing. Adjust the clothing to the destination. If you are traveling to St. Petersburg, where the temperature is -16, take a warm jacket and hat with you in order not to freeze on arrival. If your destination is Cuba, then use your imagination and decide what to bring other than the swimsuit, and do not overdo it. So, comfortable attire, in the business class of many companies  you also get pajamas, and Turkish Airlines, for example, shares a packet with socks, toothpaste, earplugs, a sleeping mask in the economic class ... and all for the traveler's comfort. Smokers may carry nicotine gum, because there is no smoking rule during the flight ?!

There are several important things that can affect the comfort of our distant journeys. Even when registering as a traveler or using an internet check-in, you should choose the seat safely. From experience, I advise seats that have a lot of room for legs, usually the so-called  emergency row, or exit seats. It's usually harder to get them, but it's worth trying. So, ask for such a seat when you are checking in and give them some reason why you would like it. This can be your long legs, you want to sleep all the way or something. They will not give you this seat if you say it's for the illness, as it is the first emergency hazard and the passenger seating there must be fully prepared to help other passengers.

Get lots of sleep

If your flight lasts longer than 15 hours, you will need a lot of sleep, so you can get a pillow and a blanket. In the meantime, have fun watching the latest movies, listening to music or playing games, because there are usually remote monitors in front of each seat. Many airlines have WIFI, on some it is free and on some you pay a few dollars per hour. If you have a notebook, turn it on, and you can also have fun by reading the newspapers and magazines on long journeys.

Be patient because patience is extremely important for long journeys. Enjoy yourself because life is so short that you are thinking of problems, unpaid bills and greedy neighbors who have ruined your cherry again on an interstate flight. And when you're in the air,  don't  think much about calories. Think about yourself.

Siite bhputovanja.ba thanks Slobodan Kadić i Glas Slavonije for the article.