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MEETING! |
Flight Tips!: If you have to fly to visit your partner, like I did (over 12hours!) then here are a few tips for the flight that i've learned! :) These are mainly for ladies, but guys can also do a few of them (i'd stay clear of the make-up ones though, just a suggestion, lol!) * Take a small toiletries bag onboard with you (no good in your luggage under the plane!) Many shops do these "Minis" for travelling nowadays, and so essentials are: a bit of make-up to conceal dark bags, etc, perfume/body spray, hairspray, hairbrush/comb, toothpaste and toothbrush (the best thing to make yourself feel fresher!) * Wear comfortable clothing!! Whatever you wear it is likely to feel uncomfortable and crease after so long in the air, but light fabrics are best. You could even put a spare pair of clothes in your carry-on (especially clean underwear!) to get changed into just b4 you land or at the connecting airport etc, then you will feel at your best for your lover! Don't wear tight clothes, as this will not only make u feel terrible on the plane but also increases your risk of deep vein thrombosis (a blood clot, usually in your legs, which can be fatal, linked to long distance flights!) Also wear shoes which allow your feet to breathe, such as sandals, or slip them off during your flight (as long as they don't make the pilot pass out, if likely then take some foot deodorant too!) * To avoid deep vein thrombosis it is recommended that you take aspirin (which thins your boold, hence making clotting less likely to occur!) once a day for 2 days before your flight and the day you depart, or take ginko biloba (a natural remedy) for 11days before! Also maintain movement through the flight, get up and go for a walk every 15-30 minutes, if you have a long sleep get up and move about as soon as you wake up, don't sit with your legs crossed, and do small flexes and rotations of the ankles, tap your feet and stretch to keep the blood circulating. This is particularly important if you are elderly, have heart/circulation problems, are overweight, or ON THE CONTRACEPTIVE PILL! For more information on DVT check out this BUPA factsheet. * Drink plenty of fluids, and preferably not the alcoholic kind! Its easier to get dehydrated on the plane, and so your hangover will be 10x worse and you WILL get drunk quicker. May sound fun, but you are then likely to not be at your best when you meet your guy/lady, and also airline sare on strict alert for trouble makers after the many high profile cases of air-rage and these have been linked to flyers who drink a little too much duty-free or complimentary drinks! If you do drink alcohol, have a glass of water too, or best of all avoid alcohol and stick with fruit juices and water to keep you rehydrated and full of energy! :) * I know on my flight they seemed to throw food at you like you were a starving orphan, but it is best not to eat too much. If you really don't want to pass up the free food then take it and save it for later on in your trip! :) * Because of the air systems on planes, the atmosphere is usually quite dry and so I found taking on a spritzer spray and bodywipes really helped! I found The Body Shop air spritzer very refershing, and it doubles up as a perfume too! * Also, due to the air systems (damn them!!) you are constantly breathing in other peoples' air, and so it is VERY common for you to catch any kind of bug thats flying around. There isnt much you can do about this except take extra Vitamin C to boost your immune system and some people even take on filtering masks (Michael Jackson style!) to avoid any nasty viruses in the air. * I find watching the inflight movies, no matter how dull they are, makes time go quicker, also reading, and sleeping obviously! * If you are nervous of flying, as i was when i first set off for America, try and talk to the person next to you, having a conversation gives you something to do to take your mind off of the crash scene in "Final Destination" :)! Also try and stay relaxed (dont grip so hard your circulation stops!) and breathe in and out slowly and deeply! Don't concentrate on being up in the air, think of yourself as just sitting on a big bus, even shut the blind to the window if that helps! Flying really is the safest way to travel, and I had lovely trouble free flights!! * The tempretures between your departure and your destination can differ dramatically (i.e for me it was 41 degrees in Kansas and 17 degrees in Birmingham!) and so it is best to wear layers, i.e something summery and a jumper/jacket over the top to cater for this. Also, the tempretures on the planes can be quite cool when at 35.000 feet (especially during the night) and so take a coat on with you for that, or a big blanket, as the airline do supply them but sometimes there arent enough to go around everyone or they are not long enough to cover you shoulders and feet at the same time. |
Meeting for the first time!?!: When you meet your man/lady for the first time there are obviously certain things to keep in mind. Number one is your own safety, no matter how well you know this person, you still haven't met b4, so take some safety precautions: * Firstly, don't meet someone you barely know, be sure you have talked to this person a long time (at least a few months!) and are very certain in your mind that they are a genuine lovely and not someone who could be lying to you. *If you are under 18 then i seriously suggest NOT meeting someone on your own, particularly if they are older than you!!! Take a friend!! I know it sounds silly, but really, your safety is the most important thing and unfortunatly not everyone is who they say they are, there are many sad stories about paedophiles/rapists/ fraudsters in chatrooms, and you need to be extremely careful you do not fall into their trap! Check out www.wildxangel.com to see examples of this for yourself! * Have at least one photo of them before you meet (so you know they are who they say they are, and also who to expect!), Be wary if they say they are shy about sending a photo or worried what u might thing etc, because although this may be genuine, if they DO want to meet you then obviously you will see what they look like then and so sending a photo is no different!! * Tell someone what you are doing, and where you will be. * Take a mobile phone with you or make sure there is a payphone nearby incase you need to call that person, or even better get someone else to drive you to the meeting place/pick you up, so then you aren't alone until you feel comfortable! * Arrange to meet in a public place (obviously if you are meeting at an airport then thats fine, otherwise try a busy cafe, restaurant, etc in the day time) * Also arrange to do something when you meet, such as go for a drink, meal, visit somewhere etc, because then you will have time to suss out whether this is a safe situation or not (trust your instincts!) and, more importantly, get used to being around each other and lose a few of those "first-meeting" nerves before having to be alone. IF YOUR SWEETHEART REALLY CARES ABOUT YOU AND HAS NOTHING TO HIDE THEN THEY WILL NOT MIND YOU TAKING THESE PRECAUTIONS, AS YOUR SAFETY AND COMFORT SHOULD BE A TOP PRIORITY TO THEM TOO!!!! Secondly, you want to be certain that the person stood their is your special friend. Obviously if you have followed the above advice then you will know what they look like, but if not, (or even if you have but have worries about recognising them in a busy place, hehe i know those fears happen!) then to avoid getting arrested for harassing an unsuspecting stranger, arrange to carry/wear something distinctive that your partner knows about so u can recognise each other! If you have seen "You've Got Mail!" then you know what i'm talking about! Try carrying an item like a certain newspaper, or drink, or wear a purple sweater etc Thirdly, you might be worried about what to say/do when your love appears infront of you, and to be honest, there is no easy way to prepare yourself! You can try to think of something witty and amazing to say :) but more than likely you will be so nervous that you will forget it or it will come out all wrong! The best advice I can give is to just try and stay calm (hehe as impossible as that is!), admit it if you are feeling nervous because more than likely they feel the same way, and just be yourself! If you feel that you want to hug/kiss, then that really is a great ice-breaker, and can calm your nerves a lot, and i'm pretty sure you're partner won't mind ;)! Otherwise, suggest going for a coffee somewhere, or ask them if they want any help with their luggage or what they would like to do etc, trust me, after a few minutes, realisation sets in and you will feel less awkward and realise that this IS the person who you have spent so long talking with and fallen for! Fourthly, try and not have any expectations about what your first meeting will be like. I KNOW ITS HARD NOT TO, but really, you will both be very nervous, if they have flown a long way they will be extremely tired, in a new/strange environment and neither of you will be 100% yourselves until the nerves have worn off. More than likely it will be like a fairytale, a moment you will NEVER forget, but it could also not be as perfect as u imagined if you re-run it through your head 200 times b4 it happens! Be willing to have an open mind and a little forgiveness in those first few hours, and understand the pressures of the situation. By all means trust your instincts if things seem completely wrong or dodgy, but also don't expect an immaculate beginning either, its a matter of judgment and taking things slowly! |
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