The joys and trials of overnight flights

I unfortunately am starting this trip with a massive upper respiratory infection. During our seven hour layover in Newark, I actually hacked so hard I pulled a muscle. Despite the fact that we were there for SEVEN hours, I made us the last people on the plane because I decided suddenly I NEEDED to get some Robotussin right before boarding. :)

You know I'm desperate for relief when I will drink that nasty stuff voluntarily. (just thinking about the taste makes my throat close up reflexively) But I thought maybe THIS would be the wonder remedy that would allow me to sleep on an overnight flight... and make me stop hacking, which would keep half the plane awak all night...

As far as sleeping on overnight flights, I have tried everything - melatonin supplements, Benadryl, separating myself from the environment as much as possible with blankets, pillows, ear plugs and eyemasks, and even Ambien, a prescription strength sleeping pill. (even that didn't make me sleep, but evidently it had some effects that kept Gavin entertained through most of that flight... All I can remember is trying to eat my airline meal and missing my mouth with the fork, hitting various parts of my face with it instead, and also dropping food in my lap and not being able to get my body to gather enough coordination to get it back out of my lap...)

I did sleep a tiny bit, which is actually impressive for me. When I do wake up, one of my favorite ways to relieve myself from the cramped quarters of coach class is to go stand by the bathroom and do various yoga postures to get my blood circulating again. My favorites are crescent lunge, wall dog, figure four, frog squat (with a bind), side angle (with a bind), triangle and forwarf fold with a chest expansion. My little mini yoga practice never fails to evoke comment from either a passenger or a flight attendant. :) (my favorite has to be "When was the last time you ate a hamburger?") One of the flight attendants on this particular flight told me he runs and weight trains, but a friend took him to a yoga class and it was the hardest thing he had ever done. :)

Well, according to the popping in my ears, we are starting to descend. Time to open the blinds and close the computer to get our first look at Buenos Aires! :)