(written on the plane from NYC to London)

I left for Kenya yesterday afternoon.  The trip began on a sour note with the Giants losing to the Eagles, but got better as a brand new Lincoln Town Car picked me up outside my apartment en route to the airport.

Ticketing and security going through the American Airlines terminal at JFK was once again quick and easy.  I met up with the rest of the crew there (Jordan and Steve who will be filming, Sean who is the Producer, and Tim who is reporting) and we headed to a restaurant in the airport for some quick eats and to catch some of the Chargers vs. Steelers game.  Through a good piece of fortune, our coach tickets were upgraded to business class per a request made by Viacom’s travel group.  Had I known this I wouldn’t have bought the burger I did to eat on the flight, assuming as I have grown custom to that there would be no food.  I couldn’t have been any more wrong…

The accommodations on this flight represent to me what it must mean to be a jet setter by definition.  My seat came with a digital dashboard of various adjustments that can be made to bring your body and legs to the full upright position to completely flat so you can sleep as if on a bed, and everything in between.  In front of me is a TV and next to me a remote control that allows me to select from dozens of movies, TV shows, and games on demand.

Before we took off, menus were distributed describing the meal that would be served.  Warm nuts to start, followed by salad, breads, a selection of entrees (of which I chose steak with mashed potatoes and spinach), and a dessert of either cheeses and crackers or chocolate ice cream and white chocolate fudge (of which I chose both).  The dinner was accompanied by a variety of beverages of which I chose a French pinot noir, some water, and a coke. Often I flights I find myself planning a well thought out strategy of what I will do to make the flight time pass as quickly as possible…from ordering juice, to listening to music, to planning to not letting myself sleep until the right moment that would shorten the trip the most.  Today, I found myself a bit sad when the captain said the flying time to London would be just over 5 hours.  It feels as though I was being cheated out of all my entertainment options.  Ironically, with all these options I feel guilty that I am not using my time wisely and reading some of the background materials on Kenya that I had brought.  That said, I did finish the amazing travel guide that my roommate Erica bought for me that describes local customs and tips versus destinations and recommendations.

For my viewing pleasure I chose to watch Casablanca for the first time, which made me realize even more how much disparity there is between the romance felt in the movie and that which actually exists in real life Casablanca.  Of course, I watched the movie not on one of the disposable headsets they usually distribute to us Cretans, but on a noise cancelling Bose headset the stewardess gave me which I know retails for over $200. 

After writing this, my next move is going to be dig into a book I have been trying to finish for a while now, Fate of Africa and then perhaps another movie.  I’m planning on staying up for both legs of my flight to Nairobi as that will hopefully exhaust me for our 935pm arrival, thus allowing me to get a good night rest before we get up at 5am for our flight to Kisumu in the morning.