Regarding the Twilight Zone of Air Travel

It is currently three thirty in the afternoon (England time) and I am flying into the night. With the sun at our backs and the shadow of the plane's tail lengthening on the wing of the plane I am bracing myself for the body clock turmoil that will shortly be enveloping my body!

Travel Check-list so far:

• Heart attack when the attendant at the ticket desk told me that I wasn't allowed to fly without a return flight. (Sorted, but momentarily panic inducing).
• Drooling on myself and hoping no-one noticed. Unfortunately think this may not be the case as when I awoke someone had placed a wet wipe on my lap….
• Funny looks from fellow travellers as I practiced my chinese for 'Please take me to this address' in the corner of the waiting area.
• Heart attack number two (more like palpitations really- but let's keep up the sense of the dramatic) when I realised that Rome is one hour ahead of London and therefore my flight is now! And not in an hour's time.  (Didn't tell you about that one did I mum? :P)
• Being paired with an attractive Italian businessmen for my nine and a half hour journey to Beijing . I will take this as a good omen for my travels.
• Delighting in the complementary red wine with dinner/lunch (twilight time zone, I told you)
• Sniffling to one's self in response to the in-flight movie. Standard.

Just passed over some previously unheard of city in Russia and have begun debating whether or not to snooze or stay awake until I arrive (at 6:30am Beijing time). Fun fact: the entirety of China exists in one time zone, will be great fun when the sun rises at four in the morning and sets at 5 in the evening!

Hmm…. Snoozing will probably be for the best. Will chant 'Qĭng dàiwŏ dào zhège dìzhĭ' over and over until sleep claims me.

Good night (?)  for now

Flying into the dark!

The lovely Johnny, seatmate and companion extraordinaire .