Study Abroad: The Flight Over

 You can take the group flight that the school puts together but I decided not to. I wanted to get here a week earlier so I could adjust to the time difference and get settled in before having to start classes. You can’t check into the dorms until two days before the semester starts however but there is a nice hotel across the street from the student village and there are several good hostels in town. When booking your flight make sure you won’t be arriving in Israel on a Friday or Saturday because it will be harder to get around on those days.

I prefer getting an aisle seat so I can get up and walk around whenever I want to. The window seat might be nice but it loses its value if you need to get up and the two people blocking you from the aisle are sleeping. For carry ons I have a rolling laptop bag. It has a convenient slot to put the laptop in that allows for easier access to it at security checkpoints. I found it easier to navigate the airports because it rolls saving your back. I put this bag in the over head compartment.  You are also allow a personal item for me this was a shoulder bag used as a purse it was small but I put the things I might actually need to access during the flight in there. It was small enough that it allowed me to use the space underneath the chair in front of me to stretch my legs in.

I definitely recommend you take a neck pillow one of those horse shoe shaped ones. They will help you sleep on the plane by keeping your head from bouncing around so much. I have one that has a blanket inside the case, then it has a beach ball liner that inflates for your pillow. Added to an eye shade and set of earplugs I was able to sleep without giving myself neck cramps.  Wear your heaviest pair of shoes on the plane this will save you a little bit of weight in your luggage. You might also invest in a pair of airline socks. Airline socks help stimulate the circulation in your legs which reduces swelling and soreness of the ankles during the flight. These socks are actually designed for people with poor circulation in their legs. You can buy them at Walgreens and CVS.

Make sure you have your acceptance letter and other important documents in your carry on for easy access. I like to have a small pill case with Tylenol (for headaches caused by screaming babies), Dramamine(for motion sickness), and Benadryl (to put me to sleep) Take the Sheruit from the airport to the school.