We’re 20 hours into this 25-hour leg of travel.

Starting at the Tom Bradley International Airport in LA I encountered a sight that made my heart drop; a seemingly endless line to check-in to the flight.

Thankfully, I arrived 3+ hours before boarding time and the travelers in front of and behind me in the queue were on the same flight, so we bonded over our shared goal of not missing our flight. Was there ever a more unifying goal?

On the flight I found myself seated next to Tess and Maria, an adorable mother-daughter duo heading to the Philippines to visit family.

We bonded over our shared love for the Philippines and its people.

Dinner was served shortly after takeoff around 1 am PST, and after inhaling every morsel, I enjoyed an 8-hour rest.

Leaving in the late night and arriving at your destination in the early morning is my favorite way to approach long flights. I end up sleeping pretty well and then being energized by the sun when I arrive at my destination.

A few hours after waking, we touched down, concluding 15 hours in flight.

A quick bite of bao bun and shrimp spaghetti at the airport for a total of $7* presented a 7 hour window, opportune nap time.

One step closer to reuniting in Shanghai with my dear friend Ydel!

*If I ever need to drop my burn rate drastically over this year of travel the Philippines is a great option.