There are, I’m sure, several ways to deal with a nine-hour time zone shift. People have been doing it ever since the Spirit of St. Louis first winged her way across the Atlantic.
But I have been struggling.
My problems started when I decided to fly on Air New Zealand for the Los Angeles/London leg of my trip. It was my first time cruising with the Kiwis, and I didn’t really know what to expect.
It was wonderful.
Number one: Good food and free wine with your meal.
Number two: No one in the middle seat (I know that ANZ cannot actually take credit for this, but it sure made my trip a lot more enjoyable).
Number three: Ridiculous, ludicrous, fabulous selection of in-flight entertainment. In addition to Planet Earth, Extras, Flight of the Conchords, Fawlty Towers, CSI and other TV shows, guests aboard the Air New Zealand 747 were able to choose from the following movies:
The Heartbreak Kid
Grow Your Own
Superbad
Hot Rod
Shortcut to Happiness
The Simpsons Movie
Knocked Up
The Jane Austen Club
The Nanny Diaries
The Darjeeling Limited
Resurrecting the Champ
Transformers
Live Free or Die Hard
Into the Wild
Across the Universe
Feast of Love
Control
Goya’s Ghost
The 11th Hour
The Lives of Others
The Brave One
Stardust
Talk to Me
The World’s Fastest Indian
3:10 to Yuma
Rush Hour 3
The Hunting Party
The Seeker
The Bourne Ulitmatum
The Invasion
The Game Plan
Ratatouille
Garfield Gets Real
High School Musical 2
A Beautiful Mind
Casablanca
Dirty Harry
Funny Face
Gone with the Wind
LA Confidential
Lethal Weapon
Roman Holiday
Saturday Night Fever
Something’s Gotta Give
Shadowlands
Terms of Endearment
The Conversation
The Bridges of Madison County
The Shawshank Redemption
The Untouchables
The Usual Suspects
The Wedding Singer
Top Gun
Unforgiven
An Angel at My Table
Once Were Warriors
Rain
Smash Palace
The Navigator
The Quiet Earth
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Lord of the Rings: Two Towers
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Seriously?
So I spent the entire flight not sleeping, as I had planned, but watching four TV shows, three and half movies, and trying to wake my seatmate up in such a way as it could look like an accident so that I could go to the bathroom.
This was not a bad way to spend the ten-hour flight, but by the time I had landed in London, took the bus to Reading and the train to Bath my internal clock was a little woozy.
I got to my flat at about four in the afternoon, and by four-fifteen I was in bed and deeply sleeping until four the next morning.
Wednesday: Up and around at four am, then asleep by ten thirty in the morning, awake at four in the afternoon and asleep by ten at night.
Thursday: up at four thirty, asleep at two, up at seven, asleep at one and up the next morning at six.
Friday: Up at six in the morning, asleep at two in the afternoon, up at two in the next morning. That means I was awake for a total of eight hours.
This is ridiculous. I have to pull myself together and stop sleeping like a two month old.
6 comments:
oooh that's rough...I had that going on for weeks post-India.
Well, maybe this coudl be your new writers style...only writing at odd hours (like a 2 month old)
now how many months old are you?
I love the Air New Zealand flights to London for the same reasons! Jess, it was so good to see you again. Come back and visit us!
Steph Beals
Yikes! I'm jet-lagged on your behalf! (Especially if it means I can go back to bed now...)
I feel your pain- I have the same sleep schedule except it is due to three little kids instead of jet lag.
You and your 747 service to London... meanwhile the rest of us get stuck in tiny 737s for 7.5+ hour-flights nonstop to Houston...
Sounds like the travel portion of your trip was great, at least, even if you're way jet lagged.
Miss you already!
By the way, Fawlty Towers? No way!
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