Finally, in Beijing

I was closing in on Irkutsk at some 34,000 feet and 5,603 miles from Newark, New Jersey, with three hours left before arriving in Beijing when I realized flying first-class would have been a great investment. I guess an excessively-reclined-woman in front of me, my 40-year-old knees and a little girl's vomit would spark such a thought. But I was closing in on Beijing after two-days of travel.

During the flight, there was something I had never experienced before – a personal on-demand entertainment console. With the television lodged in the headrest in front of me and a remote control/video game controller I could ward off many of the trip's negative aspects. It gave me the chance to take some advice from a good friend Drew and watch "Stand By Me" for the first time. It was boss. I also threw in some "Toy Story", "Scrubs" and "Enemy of the State."

All-in-all, the flights weren't horrendous but they pushed my limits of personal space.

BY THE NUMBERS

7,000 – Miles flown from Newark, New Jersey, to Beijing, China

-50 – Degrees of the temperature outside of the aircraft for the majority of the flight

12 – Hours in time difference from Eastern Standard Time

1 – Person puked on the flight