For the last 24 hours my brain has only been focused on getting through customs/immigration effectively without them taking my makeup powder off me (cause god forbid I have to spend another $200 on that expense) checking boarding times/gate numbers and working out the best options out of 2 breakfast meals on the plane. If I get the chicken with rice it could not be cooked well enough and lets be honest…which Aussie eats rice for breaky?? YET! If I get the sausage and egg then there is a massive chance that the dish will look like slop. I went for the latter and much to my despair before hand- my empty stomach starred at the dish, knowing that it had inevitably just seen into the future and that I would not be full any time soon.
I have now landed at London’s Heathrow airport, munching on a ₤3.75 bacon&egg muffin at the Naturally Fast Food (fair-trade & organic cafe) Neon in Terminal Two. A much deserved meal after those awful plane meals on the flights from BNE – SIN (8 hr flight, wait 4 hours in airport) and then SIN- LON (14 hr flight, wait 5 hours in airport). My skin looks and feels like all existing life has been sucked out of it due to feeling so dehydrated. Yet the only thing I consumed on the plane was boundless cups of water, as mum pressed into me that wine would make me dehydrated.
So far I have noticed the intense focus that everyone in airports possess…they all have somewhere to be and someone to meet. I feel so strange being a foreigner in places I’ve never experienced before… even if they have only been spent in airports during layovers.
I’ll keep this first blog post simple due to my state of extreme tiredness. Even though today is a Thursday over the next 3 months you will see regular posts on Sunday’s. I believe Sunday is the weeks dedicated ‘rest day’, therefore each Sunday you will ‘rest’ as you read DIVF. But who knows with me, that day might change to a Monday… so keep checking back to see! At the end of each blog post I will have a quick list of the things I have learnt that day or week. So here goes my very first one!
THINGS I’VE LEARNT SO FAR
No.1 When in doubt, always follow the crowd… they will lead you to your devine destination (toilets, flight gate, food, baggage collection…) just follow someone who you spotted on your plane in a non-creepy way (3 – metre rule) and chances are you’ll find exactly where you need to be!
No. 2 Don’t think that because you had to stow away your aerosol can of deodorant in your large check-in baggage that you will be able to go 20 or so hours WITHOUT it. I tried, and in my grandmothers words, I smelt like a pole cat.
Which brings me to tip No.3 Take a spare pair of clothes with you to get changed into at the next airport. Because even though you are unable to have a shower, you will still feel better now in some fresh clothes.
No 4. A window seat on a long flight is not always the best option! Take it from me who only got to leave my seat once in the flight from Singapore to London due to the 2 men who were fast asleep in the next two seats to my left. Struggle street you ask??? I think YES!
Last but not least,
No 5. Prepare for exercise and patience in London Heathrow Airport. First you have to walk so so far and climb up stairs to collect your damn luggage, (I brought the same stamina used for Mount Pomona climb with me!) and then you have to repetitively keep your eyes on a black conveyer belt watching bags spin around and around, wondering whether someone has mistakingly stolen yours. My next flight to Athens takes off at 12:15pm, so you’ll most likely hear from me in the next few days when I reach the island of Kythira. I’ll probably be complaining again about this flight as I accidentally checked myself in for the window seat again. Thankfully it is only 3 hours. All in all- I’ve been enjoying the journey so far. I’ve laughed at many stupid things that people have been doing, and they are probably laughing right back at me over similar things.
ELLY-GRACE 
What do you think?