Flying !!

 Next week, I am flying back home, to India. And as much as I love to travel, I do not like flying.

 It’s not just a mild dislike—it’s a genuine dread.

Nearly 30 years ago, I got on a plane to come to the US, eventually making it our home.

But it also set the stage for a lifetime of back-and-forth journeys to visit family, most of our family still lives in India including parents. Flying is unavoidable now, no matter how much I wish otherwise. A majority of the time, we plan these trips months in advance but have also flown at a day's notice. 

Thirty years ago, though, things were different. There were no nonstop flights between the U.S. and India. And even though a trip like that involved multiple stops, layovers, and logistical challenges, it wasn’t such a hassle. It was pre 9/11.

Now, we are simply used to it. That’s just the way. A few years ago, they started offering nonstop flights from the US to India. Flights from JFK, New York to Delhi or Mumbai in 15 hours—just one long stretch in the air. Convenient, right? At least that’s what I thought the first time I took one of those flights. Back then, I was traveling with infants, and the idea of skipping layovers seemed like a godsend.

But now? Not so much. I’ve realized that nonstop flights aren’t for me. For one, I just can’t sleep on planes. No matter how tired I am, sleep evades me. And for other reasons, I can’t sit for that long, I like to get up and walk. Meanwhile, I know people, blessed souls, who pass out the moment the plane takes off and only wake up when it lands. They don’t stir to eat, drink, or even go pee. I know these people. They sit beside me. Oh, how I envy them, I wish I could too ….

Many people swear at the convenience of nonstop flights. I even know some who drive three to four hours to bigger airports from where they can catch one of these nonstop flights. They are convenient no doubt; especially if you are flying with little ones or senior citizens who do not speak the language. I’ve tried them, but they aren’t for me. Even when you run into the pilot of one of those non stop flights who you have known since he was a child. 

I would rather take a break somewhere in Europe. These layovers vary; sometimes, it’s a rushed hour-long dash from one gate to another, and other times it’s a leisurely eight-hour wait.

Of course, layovers come with their own challenges. Once, a storm threw my entire itinerary into chaos. I missed one connection after another, despite arriving at the airport in time, only to find the gates already closed. It was stressful, to say the least. Still, I find two nine-hour flights more doable than one 15 hours nonstop. I can watch two or three movies, get up a few times to stretch or visit the bathroom, and before I know it, I’ve landed. Plus, I can stretch a little more at the airport, get a cup of coffee, get my steps in before the next leg of the journey.

 Sometimes, I go into my rabbit hole and wonder if I had instead moved somewhere in Europe, how convenient it would have been, just one flight or may be two short flights and I would be home. But alas, life had other plans. Moving to the U.S. wasn’t a calculated decision; it was more of an impulse driven by the allure of seeing something new, something different. Here I am, decades later, still grappling with the realities of that choice every time I board a plane.

And add geopolitics to the mix, it has increased the flight time.

Flying may not be my favorite thing, but it’s the bridge that connects me to the people and places I love. So, as much as I dislike it, I’ll keep getting on those planes. After all, the destination makes it all worth it.

What about you? Do you like flying? Have you ever been on one of those super long nonstop flights?

                                            Pictures from JFK airport in New York.