On Over-Preparing for Flights
As a child, the longest flight I took with any kind of regularity was only a few hours long. Of course, my concept of time wasn't fully mature yet, so I didn't dwell on how I'd keep myself occupied for the duration of the flight. Also, that was someone else's problem. Also, as a kid, you're probably constantly flipping between states of diversion and boredom. Also, there wasn't as much technology back then. I could pop in some headphones and watch the in-flight movie on shared overhead drop-down screens. Or, if I was feeling really fancy, I could bring my GameBoy and extra batteries (if I had the forethought). I had a pretty sweet carrying case to hold my games, AC adapter, light, etc. I was much smaller then, so I could keep it in the seat pocket without risking valuable sitting real estate. Also, the legroom back then was much larger, wasn't it? I'm sure I gamed a bit, watched movies a bit, snacked a bit, and maybe even napped a bit. Either way, I'd make it to my destination without too much fuss.
Then, as I grew into an adult, something changed. Obviously, the smartphone was the game-changer. Once we were cleared to turn on our devices (always in airplane mode), we had a wealth of ways to keep ourselves entertained. Our own personal libraries of music, movies, games, and books. Of course, the smartphone being the jack-of-all-trades that it is means that it isn't the best experience at doing any one of these. A GameBoy Advance was still a better gaming machine. A Kindle was still a better reading device. An iPod (before the iPhone) was still a better music-listening experience. The iPad quickly came along and gave us the ultimate in a personal movie theater. Also, with adulthood came longer international flights as I moved to the other side of the world.
Suddenly, the anxiety of filling the 14 hours of 'confinement' became first-world problem numero uno. What should I bring with me? Should I get through that novel on the Kindle? Ah, the screen isn't so great (pre-backlight)... Should I get through Final Fantasy on my GBA Micro? Ah, that screen is pretty small... Should I load up on the entire Ken Burns Jazz soundtrack? Sure, if I want to ruin the enjoyment of listening to Ella Fitzgerald forever by subconsciously associating her singing with babies crying. Will all these devices last the entire flight? I better bring charging cables. Or better yet, my own portable (and super heavy) battery pack!
I did once load up an iPad with what I thought was everything I needed for a 12-hour flight, only to discover that I had to re-authorize all my apps post-takeoff. This meant, without wifi, my iPad was just a shiny paperweight until I landed in Tokyo.
But sometimes, I do get it right and have all my favorite content ready on a svelte and light iPad mini. A few comedy specials downloaded to Netflix, a few gaming podcasts in Overcast, a couple of games with proper offline modes, my 'distraction-free' writing app of choice (iA Writer), and the entire Perfume discography, which I celebrate in its entirety. And what ends up happening? I barely use any of it. I spend the whole flight battling with the desire to go to sleep. When I do pick up my iPad, I'm in such a sour mood that I enjoy nothing it has to offer. How can I laugh at stand-up when I'm uncomfortable? How can I learn about game design when I'm sleep-deprived? How can I write anything worth a damn when I'm at my wit's end?... Actually, that last one could be interesting...
Recently, I was sick in bed for a few days, unable to enjoy the break I had from work. Feeling sorry for myself, I decided to rewatch the original Jurassic Park trilogy, which I mostly enjoy. But when I really hated life, I watched the new trilogy, which is poopoo caca. But you know what? I loved every minute of it. Something about being sick, feeling really lousy, allows you to enjoy crappy media you otherwise wouldn't. Is it our inability to reach for the remote in our potato state? Is it our jealousy of the healthy that spurs this self-hate? Whatever it is, I watched a whole lot of CGI and puppet dinosaurs (and dinosaur hybrids) in a very short amount of time, and loved every second of it.
This has me thinking that this is the proper tactic for a long flight. Don't bring the media you like or are interested in; you're in no state of mind to enjoy it as you'd wish to. Don't try to finish that screenplay you've been toiling away at; you're without your total faculties while riding that hell in the sky. Just bring your comfiest headphones, plug into the in-flight entertainment, and enjoy all the movies you've heard of but wouldn't pay money to see in a theater. I'm talking Garfield, something with Owen Wilson, and whatever the Avengers are up to. All the dribble that is oh-so enjoyable when you're not where you want to be.
Epilogue: Remember when you weren't allowed to turn on devices until well after take-off? We finally had tiny supercomputers in our pockets, but had to wait at least 30 minutes until the pilot said it was okay to turn them on. And for some reason, those 30 minutes were excruciating because we were alone with our thoughts. Horrific.