A story of boiled egg in International airports

I am trying to heal all my longing of my freedom. The time when I am the only person who will be responsible for myself and can’t rely to anyone to help me. Airport, a place where I am usually be the only person who will handle everything including the feeling of being nervous because over baggage or starving without any penny in my pocket. 

2016-2017 is the most time that I spent for traveling abroad.  AIESEC Indonesia trusted me as the representative for several meeting in abroad. If you are AIESECer, you will know how fancy it is to be poor while traveling. This is the organization that give me super limited money but limitless opportunity. I do learn a lot to solve my own problem. So, here some my story, tips and trick to survive in airport:

•    Gastritis and limited money. Almost all airport has hot water. So, if you are always hungry or have gastritis, don’t forget to pack instant cup noodle or a fruit in your bag. I usually feel nervous in the airport, so the acid inside my stomach works faster and worse. Of course food price in the airport is not really friendly. Especially if I only transit for less than 10 hours. It is too expensive to exchange or withdraw money. Or, if I worry about hot water, I packed boil eggs and bread. Remember, not all airport allows some foods to enter the country. Japan and Australian are two of the countries that really strict about this. 

•    If you are worry about over baggage, put stuff that probably you can grab and put in the cabin in top part of your suitcase. Also they usually offer me an extra check in baggage when I almost enter the aircraft because of my cabin bag is too big.  

•    Sleep in airport is never convenience. I will bring my neck pillow and find a quite spot to lay down. Trust me, I will put jacket on the floor and sleep while hugging my suitcase. I will switch my alarm on to make me aware my flight time. To be more safe, I will submit my check in baggage first. 

•    Use metro to save money. I prefer to use metro and come earlier in the airport then sleep there. It saves much money. I will count how many time I need to eat and pack food as I need. 

•    I always use wifi in the airport. It takes time to connect, but it always works properly. 

•    For transit 12 hours with the same airlines, we can ask their lounge to sleep. I had really good experience with Philippine airline. I took flight from China to Jakarta and stop in Philippine for 12 hours. They provided room, full of chair to sleep, shower room, hot water, and covered my meals twice. In Soekarno Hatta airport, Indonesia, there is one room after second detector gate in the left side to lay down very well in the terminal two.

•    To take pray, I always keep one sejadah and my mukenah in my backpack. I will do wudhu in the sink and wash my feet in toilet. Then I will always try to find baby room.

•    Writing an article will be good in airport. You can try to find comfortable spot while zip your coffee.

•    Air sick usually makes me have headache, so pain killer is the medicine which is always in my bag and I always have shower kit to keep me fresh. Don't put any liquid more than 100 ml inside your cabin bag.

Making my food, to face 6 hours transit in Kuala Lumpur International Airport

Survival kit: apple, boiled eggs, bread, food box, tea sachet and noodles cup, a small blanket, neck pillow, shower kit (brush teeth and tooth paste), wet tissue, mukenah and sejadah for praying, laptop, extra clothes, charger, and note book. 

All the points above is only from my experience. I was in Beijing airport for 4 hours, Henan airport for 6 hours, Delhi local airport for 5 hours, Kolkata airport 11 hours, Jakarta airport 8 hours, Singapore airport for 6 hours, Malaysian airport 6 hours and 8 hours in Jakarta airport. For me airport is like home for everyone. Where people from all over can gather and meet :)