Visiting my family in Guam means 24 hours of flights and layovers. Here's how I make the trip bearable.

"Long-distance flights can feel endless, especially after a vacation or when you're crammed in coach. I traveled from Guam to NYC after visiting family in January 2020. The three-leg trip took 24 hours. I'd taken the journey before, and this time, I found ways to make it more bearable. I've done it six times. And I'll do it over and over again."

"I'll keep spending up to 24 straight hours navigating airports and enduring long-haul flights while traveling between my home in NYC and Guam. The three-leg trip is exhausting - especially since I fly economy. But it's worth the hassle to see my extended family and explore the island my ancestors came from. I've also figured out how to make the journey a bit more bearable."

Travel between New York City and Guam requires a three-leg itinerary that can take up to 24 hours door-to-door. The traveler has completed that route six times and often flies economy, which increases exhaustion during long-haul segments and airport navigation. Visits to extended family and exploration of ancestral islands motivate repeated trips despite discomfort. Accumulated experience produced practical coping strategies to make long connections and cramped cabins more bearable. The January 2020 return was described as the most tolerable trip yet after applying those adjustments.

Read at Business Insider