On Saturday morning we flew out of Altanta to San Juan, Puerto Rico on AirTran.  It was wonderful having direct flights!  Flying is a little more intense than it use to be especially with all the extra fees to pick your seat, luggage, etc… plus the additional security procedures you go through prior to arriving at the terminal.  We both arrived safe and early for our flight.  We met up with my brother Lee and his wife Becky who were coming from Baltimore, thankfully their flight ended up being ahead of schedule so everyone made it.

Overall the check in and flight was smooth and enjoyable.  Since it was almost a 4 hour flight we found ways to occupy our time.  Jake and I played our first rounds of SORRY! Revenge Card Game which is a card version of “Sorry” the board game.  It was a quick game and fun.  The following are ways that help us make the time on the airplane “fly”:

• Sleep – it is a great time to catch a few winks of rest while in flight.
• Play a Game – usually we stick to card games like “SORRY Revenge”, “Five Crowns”, “Quiddler”, or other card games if we are playing with 2 or more people.  There are plenty of games to play if you are the only one wanting to participate as well such as “Sudoku,” “Mad Libs,” crossword puzzle and more.
• Read or Listen to a Book – catch up on a book you’ve been wanting to read. If you forgot to bring a headset usually the flight attendant can get you a set.
• Listen to Music – it is a relaxing way to pass the time in the air plus it tunes out crying children or snoring adults.  If you didn’t bring an MP3 player or something to listen to many of the airplanes have built in channels on the armrest and you can listen to while traveling.
• Watch a Show or Movie – we watched a short show on Jake’s phone (both of us brought headphones but many airplanes will give you one for free).  That 40 minutes was fun and went by quickly for us.
• Leisurely Eat your Snack – you are in no rush so take your time savoring the pretzels, cookies or snack and sipping on your beverage.  If you want more ask, they are more than happy to serve you. We have even made a game out of the snacks….for example count how many pretzels are in each bag, you would be amazed at the difference between bags!
• Write Your Blog Posts – on the way out I wrote a list of blog topic ideas that I wanted to write about and on the way back I started writing out a couple of the articles I wanted to post soon.  It gives you a head start on the topics you are wanting to discuss especially after being gone for a week, the schedule tends to be packed already.
• Update Your Journal or Pictures – if you write in a journal update regarding the adventures you are having.  If you are not into journals but have a lot of pictures you took during your time away go through the pictures (I have been known to take some strange pictures) during the flight and delete the ones you know you will never print and do not want.
• Work on a Craft – many crafts are small and can be done in a relatively short amount of time.  Have you tried drawing, cross stitching, or other small crafts that you can do while flying.
• Write Notes – write your postcards that you were unable to finish or thank you notes to those who made the trip enjoyable.  Everyone loves receiving a hand written note of “thanks” or appreciation!  Thankfully I had all my postcards done by this time, however, I had plenty of thank you notes to write!  Write the notes, address them (if you know the addresses) and when you get home all you have to do is put a stamp on them and stick them in the mail!
• Read a Magazine – airlines always have a couple to look at and there are many months I don’t have the time to enjoy reading through one of our magazines so flying gives me a good excuse to read a magazine I enjoy from cover to cover if I want!

For those who struggle with the pressure when descending the best item I have ever purchased for airplane trips is ear planes.  I had one really bad flight and was in so much pain with all the pressure that I never leave home without my ear planes if I am flying.  They really do make the trip so much more pleasant for everyone on your flight!  You can purchase them at most pharmacies.

We enjoy time in the air because it gives us an extra opportunity to relax and do some fun activities we normally don’t have time to do at home.  So next time you fly sit back, relax, and enjoy those extra few moments of leisure.  Who knows when you’ll be able to read several chapters of a book or play a game with your spouse.  Our time in flight always goes by quickly, hope yours does too.

We arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico early that afternoon and found a Wendy’s across from the airport where we grabbed a bite for lunch and waited for the rest of our crew to arrive.  A couple hours later Dad, Mom, Josh, Jeremy and Amber arrived.  Thankfully all the luggage arrived with everyone.  The next step was finding a taxi to get us to our boat!

A Vacation To Remember series is a reflection on our recent trip and ways we relaxed.  Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away.  Go with a good attitude and looking for fun and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories.  It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine.  Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn.  You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!