A Reason To Smile During Flights

I love airplane rides; the quick short-haul flights and even the long butt-numbing ones. I know some people who love going on vacations but hate the "travelling part"; bus, boat, train and airplane rides. Others may find it weird that I actually enjoy every minute of the flight (not the jet lag that comes after though). I'm not the kind of passenger who wishes that the aircraft would reach the destination sooner, not even the type who would rush outside the cabin once the pilot announces that the exit doors are open. 

How do I  make airplane rides worthwhile? Two words: In-flight Entertainment! I usually watch a movie or two and play video games, but the first thing I look for once I settled on my seat is the inflight magazine! I read it from cover to cover on the first half of my flight, and browse it again before arrival. Inflight magazines can magically take me to my dream destination and I also learn some travel tips while I am glued to my seat. 

During our vacation in the Philippines early this year, I have read an article in Smile, Cebu Pacific's Inflight Magazine, which made me more excited to visit Hanoi, Vietnam. I used to think that a vacation in Hanoi would be complete with pho, traditional gourmet cooking class and a Halong Bay cruise, but with the Historical Hanoi article in Smile's April 2013 issue, I learned that "Hanoi is a kind of place where the multiple layers of past, present and future overlap". I knew then that I must edit the Hanoi itinerary file that has been in my computer for almost a year (really hoping I could print it out and use it someday). I must see the Chinese architecture and tube houses at The Old Quarter, the colonial structures at The French Quarter, the Soviet-inspired houses at Ba Dinh District and the high-rise buildings in My Dinh!  

Smile has become my favorite travel magazine! The best thing with Smile is that not only it is free, but I can also browse the newest and past issues online. I don't need to wait for my next Cebu Pacific flight, all I have to do is visit  www.cebusmile.com and poof, I'm off to a breathtaking place, in a daydream!