One of the inevitable things about living in Australia is that if you want to travel overseas, it frequently involves a long-haul flight that could last up to 30 hours or more, including airport stopovers.
While many people are inclined to pass the time by sleeping for the entire journey, this not only can contribute to jet-lag by confusing your body clock, but it also means that you could be missing out on valuable educational time. Here are a few suggestions on how you can use the extended travel time to sharpen your mind:
Learn a language:
While English is very useful to have while travelling, you’ll most likely get more out of your trip if you can speak some of the local language. Before you leave, download some podcasts or a language CD on to your MP3 player and bring an accompanying workbook so that you can nail down the basics before you land.
Master Sudoku:
There are many books that offer progressing levels of Sudoku, so even if you’ve never attempted the number puzzle before, you can start off easy and then work your way towards the harder puzzles. This will not only keep you occupied and your mind exercised, but, unlike a crossword, it also doesn’t require you to carry a dictionary or thesaurus on the trip.
Discover a topic you know nothing about:
With ample time available for reading, long-haul flights are a great opportunity to read a book about a topic you’d never usually consider. Whether it’s the history of the destination you’re travelling to, or the basics of nuclear science, there are many subjects you could educate yourself with when there are very few things to distract you.
Excellent !