Williston students come from all corners of the globe, and flying home for break can take up to two days for some. Students all have different ways of killing time and making the trip more comfortable through time changes and long layovers.
Williston students hail from 24 countries, some cross upwards of 10 time zones, causing travel to be long and grueling. According to Forbes, on Monday, Jan. 6, when Williston students returned to campus, there were 9,591 flight delays and 2,340 cancellations due to the incoming Winter Storm Blair. This caused diversions and delays for students travelling back to the east coast, making the trip that much longer.
Delays and long stints in the airport or rough takeoffs can cause a lot of unwanted stress for thousands of travelers. Students have found the things that make them more comfortable to help ward off the travel day anxiety.
Pearl Rungrotkitiyot, a senior from Thailand, tries her best to keep herself occupied. Her trip home is typically a 20-hour trip.
“I usually watch franchise of movies like Harry Potter on the airplane screens,” she added, “I sometimes play a lot of games on my phone like the watermelon game or checkers.”
Another senior, Gavin Kim, who had a long 13-hour trip home to South Korea, prioritizes relaxation. “I watch movies and visit the lounge,” she said, “I use heated eye patches.”
Maya Zesiger, a senior from Vietnam, traveled all over during the break. “Noise Cancelling headphones, blasting music, helps me relax,” she said.
Maya went to Vietnam (a 20-hour trip) right after the break, then flew to Australia, (an eight hour trip) for a vacation, then straight back to the U.S. (another 20-hour flight). With plenty of airport trips under her belt, Maya is experienced in the art of killing time. “When I go to the airport, I Instantly hit up the gift shop and I get a book, a snack, and a drink,” she said.
Airports offer plenty of ways to keep travelers occupied and relaxed. In my personal experience, when you walk out of the section for gates H and K in terminal three at O’Hare International Airport (ORD), the first thing you see is Chicago’s famous Garrett Popcorn Shops and the Terminal Gateway Spa. In the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne Country Airport (DTW), an express tram travels the entire length of concourse A, allowing quick access to all the food, shops, and gates across the airport.
For me, the easiest way to kill time is to eat at a sit-down restaurant instead of takeout. I usually watch a show, read a book, or people watch as I wait for my food, and find it more comfortable to eat when I’m sitting in a restaurant. Another good way to kill time includes browsing in all the shops; test out a new pair of headphones or read the back of couple books to add to your reading list.
Esther Glazer, a senior from Newton, Mass., shared a quick tip for the next airport visit.
“Don’t drink a lot before getting on the plane because you’ll have to pee,” she said.
