Fun Things to do on Airplanes

Plane rides are long. And if you don't have something entertaining to do, they are also very boring. So, in the spirit of helpfulness, I'm going to give a list of fun things to do on airplanes if you happen to forget a book or whatever to keep you occupied.

• Pretend you're a secret agent. Generally, when you get on an airplane, you know approximately zero of the hundred-and-something people on the plane. Which means they don't know you either, so you can't pretend to be whatever you want! I generally go for secret agent. I would pretend to be a super important jet-setting person (you know the type- the person who you absolutely do not recognize, but definitely feel like they're a big deal, where ever they happen to be from); however, I'm usually not very successful playing that person because my travel wardrobe consists of jeans, sneakers, and a tshirt. Not exactly the outfit to give off that vibe. It is very comfy thought. And secret agents (I imagine) like comfy. And of course, because they're undercover, they can wear whatever they want. If you're pretending to be a secret agent, just attempt to give off that mysterious aura. On the other hand, you shouldn't really take this one too far, because people might think you're a creeper.
• Quietly be reading/doing something absurd. If you happen to have a book, magazine, or computer on hand, this one is easier.I bought a Cosmopolitan magazine in Germany once (apparently fashion magazines in Deutschland don't have any sort of censorship?) and tried to read it on the plane, but I kept getting weird looks from the person sitting next to me. How I should have played it off was to point at a picture of a fashionable/barely dressed model and been like, "Isn't that an artfully placed handbag?" If you don't have a magazine, you could start writing your memoirs (or go big and start your first romance or science fiction novel). Laptop not even necessary- just ask the stewardess (airline hostess?) for some extra napkins to write on. Then again, people might also think you're crazy. On second thought, bonus points if they think you're crazy!
• Make up scenarios about your plane-mates. That old guy in 25A? Definitely a former secret agent, probably in Russia, or I guess it was the USSR back in his day. The woman in sweats in 34C? She's flying to meet her internet lover in person for the first time (actually, that happened on my last flight, and the lady talked nonstop about it the entire time). The stranger the story, the better. This will entertain you for the whole flight because you'll have to think of reasons why whatever it is they're doing fits into their scenario (of course the secret agent is reading the newspaper- there is secret code in there for him to say his next mission!)

When all else fails and you have nothing to do on the airplane, then sleep. The air on planes has less oxygen than normal air (because its circulating around the airplane, being breathed and all), so it actually triggers your brain to be sleepy. Take advantage of this and catch zzzs for as long as possible. (Sleeping makes the time pass faster!) Happy traveling!