It was always a privilege to able to fly and travel growing up. Especially before I was eighteen, it was rare. We didn’t travel much, so when we did it was always very special and something I would cherish and remember. Growing up in London, my earliest travel memories before I was five is that as a family we first travelled to Portugal and Cyprus, but I can hardly remember these trips.

One major recollection is that my dad had lost his glasses while looking outside the window of a moving car! My uncle and dad spent over an hour looking for them by the side of highway, only for the glasses ending up being right next to the car! The things you remember from a trip…

first Trip i remember

But my first big trip was going to Miami! This trip was to visit some family in America, but also visit Disneyworld in Orlando. It was a 2-week trip and it was great to take time off from school. In London, we have a large extended family and it was always an exciting time when somebody was flying somewhere.

Before any relatives would leave on a trip, normally we would all gather together as a family and wish them well for their holiday and of course ask them to bring back any souvenirs or send us a postcard. I do remember doing this a lot in the summertime, without it ever being our turn. But finally in September 1997 it came to fruition.

The family members came to our house to wish us well on our travels, and then we were getting our bags packed to travel across the pond to America!

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Excited

That evening I couldn’t sleep much with all the excitement. but early in the morning we were on our way to London Heathrow (LHR). There were no Ubers so us being from a tight knit family one of our uncles picked us up and took us to the airport. I remember my dad did this job frequently, but this time he was in the passenger seat! We arrived to the airport 3 hours ahead of schedule, with plenty of hand luggage and 4 large suitcases.

There really wasn’t a weight limit back at this time, so we knew we would be shopping and bringing back some clothes. At the time the exchange rate was in our favor and it used to be over $2 USD to £1 GBP. We needed to take advantage of arbitrage…

Check in -terminal

Checking in was the second part of excitement – At the time and still to this day, my dad had a large binder with all the passports and tickets printed off. Dozens of pages of terms and conditions were printed too for some reason. Our Hand luggage’s were bursting at the seams as my mum packed a bag full of toiletries, clothes and towels, just in case the airline lost our luggage and you know probably because they didn’t have medicine and towels in the US!

Still to this day, I’ve never really understood packing heavy items like towels are necessary, but everyone has their own way! We checked in the large suitcases, with the attendant tagging and scanning them before pressing the launch button to send each one down the conveyer belt, disappearing into the abyss

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routine

Being from an Asian background, upon passing security we had to do a similar and strict routine each time. First my mum would fumble around looking for air sickness tablets 2 hours before the flight within her huge handbag, with dozens of compartments. We had to buy water and take the tablets to help us not get sick. To this day I have no idea if they worked or not, but as I got older I’ve never taken them. Back then it had to be done no matter what, stick to the routine!

Next we had to buy hard candies which we would then take for take off to stop our ears from being blocked. We would buy magazines or crosswords for the flight, which would be discarded promptly after takeoff. We would order some food or breakfast from a restaurant or café in the terminal as we didn’t have enough time to eat at home. After a quick pop into duty free to browse around, but never buy anything unless it was a gift for family whom we were visiting. Then finally we sat around for what seemed an age before boarding.

This would go on to be the routine each time – Maybe this type of routine is the same in your culture too?

Terminal

I however always loved being in the airport and terminal. It was rare I was ever there, but I wanted to enjoy it. It was always fascinating hearing travelers talk about their upcoming trips, what they were going to do once they landed, what they planned for day 2 and 3. Hearing the announcements for flights boarding, and learning all the different destinations was thrilling. Maybe one day I can visit these locations, why not dream? Visiting duty free was always nice to see the large selection of chocolates, sweets, drinks & perfumes.

The smell from walking around even to this day brings back a nostalgic memory. I was only young but we always brought alcohol as a gift to take to family. It was interesting to see the different liquors, colors and unique bottles on the shelves with special stands.

To this day I always check out duty free for any offers and often try free samples – Doesn’t everyone?

This could be unpopular but I really enjoy being in the terminal, and visiting different shops and enjoying my time there. Especially nowadays I’ve been lucky to visit dozens of airports around the world and they all have their own unique charm. The hustle and bustle of the airport still intrigues me to this day, and it is somewhere I enjoy being. I still would love to have a dream job of working there one day.

Meeting and interacting with people from all over the world and hearing stories is fascinating to me

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Boarding

Back in the 90s it was always very special to fly and always a big deal. After enjoying the terminal, it was time to head to the gate and board the flight. From the gate you could see the plane that would take us across the world, and it was always exciting overlooking the large windows in the terminal to see different plane brands and designs. This trip was on British Airways, however I don’t remember the type of aircraft but definitely a large jumbo which would be my first experience.

All Aboard

I remember going onto the plane, and first seeing all the cabin crew in their uniforms looking smart. A distinct smell, and aroma inviting people on the plane. Getting to the seat, and as a family of 4 we took four middle seats somewhere in the back of the plane. Placing the hand luggage’s in the overhead bins, and settling into the seat which had a small amenity kit with a pen, earphones and eye covers. Nowadays many economy seats do not get much, not even earphones unless you ask.

The pilot came onto the intercom and welcomed everyone to the flight, providing the weather conditions and flight time before wishing us a pleasant journey. The safety video came on, and to this day I always watch them as some airlines have started to get very creative nowadays.

We started to back out and head to the runaway, driving about 20 mins

Next the engines roared and the pilot hit the turbo boost and we were off!

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In Flight

Speaking to friends at school I was really looking forward to watching the TV on the back of the seat and looking forward to the food. Ordering something you wouldn’t normally have at home was different to the norm. Watching movies and eating airplane food at 35,000 feet in the air over the Atlantic ocean, unbelievable privilege! This first flight to America was long over 10 hours, I remember kicking the passengers chair in front of me many times and he would turn around and tell me to stop, only for me to do it again. Probably not on purpose, just restless and not being used to confined space for a long time. It was a fairly smooth flight, no drama.

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Sunshine state

We eventually started our descent into Miami, I couldn’t see out of the windows so I didn’t know how long it would be before we touched down. To this day I always pick the window seat as I enjoy looking outside to the land below us, and seeing the unique landscapes from all cities around the world. Eventually we landed in Miami and getting off the plane on the jet bridge you immediately get hit with the humid air of South Florida, London this was not!

We had a great holiday, spending time with family, going to Disney, shopping , going to the beach, and even a weekend cruise to Bahamas. A very memorable trip and flying experience.

Many years later unbeknownst to me I would eventually move to Miami from London, all part of life’s adventure

future passion

Once I got older, I knew I always wanted to fly, explore and see the world. Set goals and challenges, that I would board a flight first and turn left, enjoy airport lounges and experience the finer things of aviation. I developed a passion for travelling, planes, airports, airlines and all things aviation. I wanted to experience the various destinations you would watch about on TV. Many times even today before you watch a movie on a plane, you get an advert about travelling to the far east, or relaxing in the Caribbean and those sights and sounds remind me the world is a big place and it needs to be explored!

I always want to embrace the full journey and enjoy each part of it, and never take it for granted. Please let me know about the first time you travelled on a plane. where did you travel to? how did you feel? I’m always intrigued to learn about new stories and hear from you!

Bon Voyage, JetLad