I’ve Spent Hours Prepping Stuff For a Flight Where I’ll Probably Take a Nap

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It’s that time again: a flight to PAX. This also means it’s time to meticulously pack all the things I might want to do on a flight, even though I’ll end up taking a nap while a bunch of podcasts drone on before realizing the flight’s almost over. And yet…

• My phone is loaded with hours of downloaded music on Spotify.
• The Instapaper app has been fed with tons of longform articles to read.
• I’ve downloaded some kind of anime? An episode from, uh…Gundam?

This situation has only gotten worse with Switch, a platform that encourages such behavior. “So and so game is on sale, maybe I should buy it, in case I want to play it…eventually?” I have a ton of games on my Switch I’ve yet to touch.

Plus, Nintendo’s new thing is to show trailers for new, exciting indie games on Switch, and announce the one you really want is available to buy today. It's a cruel, unbelievably effective trick that preys upon purchasing impulses. At E3, it was Hollow Knight and Fortnite. This week, it’s Into the Breach, a game I beat once and then moved on, hoping it would eventually come to Switch or iPad, platforms that would more easily fit into my life. (Mulling a turn while my kid watches Frozen again? Yes, please.)

And that’s how I ended up buying Into the Breach, despite being only 12 hours into the charming but very long Octopath Traveler—I’m up to the girl who speaks in the annoying accent—and a copy of The Messenger taunts me on the front screen.

I’ve somehow managed to make it this far without revealing I need to write a review of Spider-Man on the flight, too; the embargo is next week. Maybe I’ll get writer’s block and need a distraction in the form of taking turns moving mechs? What if the only way to truly understand how I feel about Spider-Man is by hearing another set of opinions about whether the Chicago Bears can crawl out of the NFC North cellar in 2018?

It’s also possible I’ll take a nap, despite drinking a cup of coffee, and wake up in Seattle.

What kinds of ridiculous preparations do you take before a flight?

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