How To: Do Your Arms Get In Your Own Way On A Flight?

Tired of doing crowd-entertaining acrobatics while trying to put a jacket on and off as airplane cabin temperatures soar or dip? Here you are in the middle seat, the middle row in budget on a 18 hour flight, and the cabin gets frosty or steamy. Instead of a jacket, take a pashmina and just lift it from your shoulders or slide it from shoulders to lap. A pashmina is a great travel item that is also a real asset on a flight any time of year.

So on my trip I did think of that, but this is the even better advantage I discovered to a pashmina. I could tie a loose knot in the ends, adjustable to my height, and the sling that resulted was a perfect armrest. Here I was on that 18 hour flight and in the disaster seat I described, and, on top of that, I am of ample girth. I was so conscious of not taking up more than my fair share of room, and besides sometimes our neighbors are very territorial about those coveted arm rests. I just tied a loose knot, and I felt cradled like a baby in the shawl and stayed comfortably and happily in my own allotted inches of space. It is rather like being swaddled and is nurturing when you nerves may be on edge from all that extra travel stress. I so dreaded my long flight, and I am almost embarrassed to concede that I was fine. The pashmina made a huge difference in my being able to cope, and with my neighbors' not being annoyed with said ample girth--which also helped me cope. Men could always use a long neck scarf for their own version. Women can be comfortable on the plane and disembark at their new destination with a beautiful pashmina wrapped stylishly around their shoulders.