All of a sudden I wake up and it's the day. The day my whole life changes. My flight to London was that afternoon to begin my 2 year working holiday. My suitcase was neatly packed on the floor and clothes set out on my dresser. Holy shit is the only way to describe how I was feeling. Mum came into my room early for some last minute cuddles, and then it was time to start making our way to the airport. I have never felt so grateful to have such a supportive family. My heart filled with sadness and happiness all at once when saying my last goodbyes to my parents and sister. Once I stepped foot through that gate I was filled with excitement and nervousness. But I felt fully content with my decision.
I went straight to my gate and no one was to be seen (probably because I was literally 3 hours early). That's the moment for me it started to feel real. I waited until boarding and once seated at my window seat, I realised my angels were definately with me. I had no one sitting next to me on my first flight. Don’t know how I got that lucky. I chose to fly with Singapore Airlines, and the staff were absolutely delightful. Many people told me they were the best airline to fly internationally, and I’d have to say I agree with that one. They even gave us a pillow and blanket which I thought was lovely.
The only downside of my first flight was I could not work out for the life of me how to connect to the internet. Singapore Airlines supposedly offers two hours of free wifi for all Kris Flyer members (which I thought I was). To my understanding, this is basically the rewards system for Singapore Airlines, similar to flybuys. So top tip, if you ever fly with that airline, set up your Kris Flyer account beforehand! I probably should have just asked someone but honestly I had lots of other things I could do so I didn’t worry.
I made it to Singapore 8 hours later, and finding my gate was easier than expected. From what I had heard from friends/family it took ages to get around Changi Airport. But it took me maybe 20 minutes to get there. So that 4 hour stopover I thought would be good when I booked the flight was now the bane of my existence. The city was a ripe 28 degrees when I was there so I freshened up in the bathroom and waited for my flight, taking advantage of the free airport wifi.
I actually found the second flight a little easier than the first. Even though this one was 14 hours, sitting in an aisle seat really made a difference. I got up to move around more and I stored most of my stuff in the overhead compartment which gave me some more leg room. I managed to get maybe 2 hours sleep throughout the flight but the time somehow went quicker than on the first flight. I also understand now why everyone jokes there are always crying babies on flights, because there always is. I bonded with the lady across from me over the ridiculous amount of children on our flight.
When I finally reached Heathrow Airport I felt a bit like an imposter. Like I was living someone else's life. Like if I touched anything it would just fade away into a dream. A driver was waiting to take me to my hostel and I stared in awe most of the drive through West London. Side note, I was completely naive to think London was right next to the airport. It took us an hour and a half to get to my hostel so lucky I had transport awaiting me! Jet Lag and not yet kicked it with all the adrenaline. I felt so lucky to be where I was and very proud for following through with my decision to move overseas.
Thank you for reading, stay tuned for my top tips for surviving long haul flights (coming soon). Till then, follow along on my Instagram and TikTok for more.
Thank you, love Amy ♡
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