Landing in Hong Kong

Hello from Hong Kong! My flight from San Francisco over to Hong Kong took a lot longer than I anticipated it would, but I made the best of it. I still can't believe how big a Boeing 747 really is. Whenever I felt bored during the more than 14-hour flight, I would just get up and walk around exploring the double-decker, wide-body aircraft. Being that this was my first time flying on an Asian airline, I thought there was a marked difference between just the overall service and feel between Cathay Pacific and, say, an airline back home in the United States. Everything seemed a bit more organized and taken seriously, most noticeably how the 18 flight attendants checked literally every single seat in every row to make sure your seatbelt was on, and did so in a polite, professional manner. I was very impressed. Luckily, I had a window seat on the long haul across the Pacific. I'm not sure why, but there is something quite special about being 38,000 feet up in the sky at night, surrounded only by the bright glow of the moon.

A question I already received via email was whether I got any sleep. Ah, not really, haha. The bottom of my seat slid forward maybe a foot, but the seatback itself didn't recline, so for my tall self, it was nearly impossible for me to sleep comfortably. I did attempt maybe a six-hour nap that was mediocre at best. A true test of precision and patience was attempting to pop your contacts out in an airplane's compact lavatory during turbulence. 

My meals onboard this Cathay Pacific flight (dinner, a snack, and breakfast) were delicious, and an eight-inch or so touchscreen in every seatback in coach kept me entertained. I played a round of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" (which I lost epically in), and watched two movies: "Machete" (which was ridiculously gory and violent yet shockingly entertaining) and "Splice" (which, well, sucked). I was shocked by how much turbulence we went through on our way over to Hong Kong. It seems as if every 30 minutes, the flight crew went into panic as our big 747-400 got tossed around like a kite in the wind. It added a bit of adventure to the flight, which I didn't mind at all.

As we began our descent into Hong Kong, I couldn't help but turn on my iPod and play the iconic theme song to the movie "Rush Hour", lively music that got me pumped as we landed. I started smiling as soon as I walked off the jetbridge because, for the first time in my life, I had been across the world in Asia, something I've always wanted to do. There's something so nostalgic about being halfway around the world, traveling by yourself at such a young age (I'm only 20). I think it's cool because in essence...you really are more independent. The Hong Kong International Airport was beyond massive, and I was wowed by how sprawling it was in size. 

It's early in the morning, and my next flight to Ho Chi Minh City boards soon.

~Robby

That's a big, big airplane

Never have I ever been so claustrophobic on an airplane until now, haha. Sitting in a window seat on a fully sold-out American Airlines flight from Chicago to San Francisco on a Boeing 737 with 3-by-3 seating and less than a foot of legroom is driving me and my long legs nuts. Thankfully, it's just for four hours because if I had to fly 14 and a half hours west to Hong Kong being this cramped...I think I'd rather swim. But I like American Airlines, and this flight attendant (I think she's Italian) is just gorgeous.

Saying goodbye to my parents may have been the hardest thing I've ever done. It's always hard seeing my mom cry, which she did as she hugged me goodbye, and it probably didn't help that I cried too, hugging both of them. I figure if we just stay in contact frequently, everything will be alright. So, how was airport security at O'Hare? Not terrible, but not good. Of course, they had to look through my bag and scan it twice due ot the hefty amount of camera equipment I had packed, and my MacBook Pro seemed to have drawn some degree of attention to it for a reason I'll never know. I was given the option to walk through a body scan or have a pat-down, and chose the former. You enter this box and stand wide, putting your arms up in the air as if you're in a holdup. Seconds go by, and if you don't remain still, which I, out of boredom, failed ot do, the whole process repeats itself. Whoops. Let's just hope my 67-pound checked suitcase with four or so months of clothes and living supplies makes it across the ocean too and on to its final destination of Vietnam.

Whoa, this jet has those TV screens that automatically flip down and show movies. I gotta get one for my car when I get back home. 

Well, we are now in the air and on our way west to San Francisco. It's kind of cool to be so high up in the air at night. Everything is completely pitch black, and then random, sporadic clusters of large, lit-up towns and cities appear thousands of feet below. I find it hilarious that I myself am completely terrible at driving at night, but here we have two pilots flying an airliner holding like 150 people, at more than 300 mph, in the dark, with no lighting whatsoever in front of them. That takes balls to do. I've got a four-hour flight ahead of me until we land in California so I think I'll play some Angry Birds on my laptop, listen to some tunes, catch up on the latest Car and Driver and Car magazines, and, hell, maybe I'll even watch a little Top Gear. I figured I'll save the sleeping for the long-haul, trans-Pacific flight. Oh, and props to American Airlines for having outlets to plug all of my stuff in, like my laptop. It was nearly impossible to find a place at O'Hare to charge my laptop and camera batteries.

About two-and-a-half hours, maybe three, into this flight, I had read a decent number of pages in my Lonely Planet guidebook to Vietnam (seriously, what a great book and a must for anyone traveling to a foreign country they've never set foot in before), and snacked on a few Red Vines (thanks, Dad). I'm looking out my window right now, down below, and it looks as if we are flying over the Rocky Mountains. Wow, just breathtaking, because even at night you can make out just how tall they are and see their snowy peaks. I've never really seen the Rocky Mountains before, or been to them, so this was a treat.

Live from San Francisco! My first flight on my itinerary over to Vietnam was a bit tight but pretty good overall, and we even landed early. I think I'll do a bit of walking around and stretching, grab a bite to eat, and figure out a way to get rid of this headache I have. Getting off the plane, I have to say this airport was very confusing to navigate. After making it through another round of security, which was a breeze compared to my experience at O'Hare, I approached my gate in the international terminal: A6. As I walked toward the windows, I looked out and saw the towering blue and white Cathay Pacific Boeing 747 I'd be spending the next 14-15 hours on. In awe and surprise, I literally said out loud, "Holy fuck, that's a big plane!" I'm really excited to fly on the 747, because ever since I was younger, my dream job has been to be an airline pilot. True fact. So for me, being an aviation nerd...flying on a 747 for the first time is comparable to, like, being a little kid and riding around in a flashy, fast red Ferrari or something special. I'm ecstatic and hungry. Time to find the nearest Cinnabon stand in this airport or somewhere I can grab a final meal of junky, unhealthy American food one last time before I cross the ocean.

My next update will be from Vietnam in two days. Wish me luck! Oh, and this airport's complimentary 45 minutes of high-speed WiFi internet access is an epic win.

~Robby

'Twas the night before 'Nam

Well, it's 12:57 am, I'm having a New Glarus Spotted Cow beer, and listening to Michael Franti's "What I Be" on iTunes as I've just started packing for my flight out to Vietnam. The weather in Wisconsin? Around 20 degrees Fahrenheit and snowy. Lots and lots of snow.  The weather in Vietnam? Highs in the 80s and sunny...sounds absolutely perfect!

I still haven't realized that I'm about to go spend an entire semester abroad, halfway around the world. It will be an adventure, though, one hell of a fun and exciting adventure. So what do I still need to get done? 

• Update my iPod with my latest favorite music and photos of home, friends, and family.
• Delete my Facebook.
• Convince the damn cat to get out of my suitcase.
• Charge my Canon Rebel DSLR and mini camcorder for filming.
• Find which of the many travel adapters I have will work for life in Vietnam.
• Attempt to fit more than four months' worth of stuff into one single suitcase.
• Determine how I'll be able to get by bringing five months' worth of daily disposable contacts onto the airplane...I have a funny feeling the TSA may not like that.
• Make a few last-minute phone calls to my best buddies, then shut off my iPhone until I return in May.
• Finish packing.
• Watch a bit more of "The Office", which is an incredible show.
• Finish packing...and sleep.

More updates to come as I begin my two days of traveling to get to Ho Chi Minh City. In total I've got a combined time of at least 24 hours, factoring in layovers in San Francisco and Hong Kong (the longest), so, I will be writing, haha.

~Robby