Travelling is an incredible thing, it frees your soul and helps create a stronger better you. But not everything can be perfect, as an eleven hour Air China flight from Vancouver to Beijing showed us….

It was a bumpy ride, every hour a voice came from the intercom telling everyone to belt up and get ready for some turbulence. Greg's hand was crushed in a death grip as the plane jumped about in the air like a baby hanging in a bouncer, unable to decide which direction it was bouncing but enjoying it nonetheless.

The Asian couple in the seats ahead of us began to shout at the man in front of them. An argument ensued that seemed out of proportion and incredibly loud from where we sat. A male air steward tried to calm them before asking for more assistance from his colleagues and moving the trouble- causing pair away from the scene. Dramatic…and kind of nerve wracking for Katie, an increasingly nervous flyer.

Movies, we whiled away our time with movies, a bit of Ethan Hunt and James Bond is always a great distraction. Until we began to hear the retching of the lady in the seat behind us, then the same noise from a seat not far to our right and then again a few rows back….a vomit epidemic broke out. Our ears were full of the sounds of vomit hitting the plastic bags, our eyes trying not to look for fear of causing the same reaction.

But finally, it was over. We had arrived in Beijing and all we had to do was get through security and look forward to our next fifteen hours of travel/wait time.

Beijing airport do not allow lighters through security and so Greg searched his bag, certain that he had one and threw it into the bin once found. Unfortunately he was unaware that another three lighters remained hidden…