You need to have a lot of patience to travel with kids under the age of eighteen months on a fifteen hour plane journey.

On my Sydney to Doha flight we had a lot of them.

My kids are now thirteen, twelve and six. I travelled with them on a few local flights in Australia when they where under eighteen months, and it was messy with the crying and whingeing for the local trips, so overseas was a big NO. Our first long flight was in 2010 and the kids had a ball with the in-flight entertainment.

And as much as Dads are meant to do their share, it was the Mums standing in the corner of the plane, rocking the child and trying to calm him/her.

The more older crowd didn’t like it, and just kept breathing heavy. Me, I didn’t mind it. I put the headphones on and kicked back. Well, kicking back is not really true. I felt like I was sitting on a piece of wood and after one hour my bum cheeks started aching.

And when I can’t rest my elbows on the elbow rests because of the other passenger, I’m very uncomfortable. Guess I need to save some more and move up a seating class.

Anyway I caught up on the movies I said I would watch in the last twelve months but didn’t get around to watching like “War for The Planet Of The Apes”, “The Quiet Place” and “I, Tonya”.

On the second plane trip from Doha to Berlin, I watched “American Animals” and “Hotel Artemis”.

If you haven’t seen em, I recommend em all.

Also on the plane trip to Berlin, I checked the audio section of the planes entertainment. I was surprised at a few like Europe “Walk The Earth”, Judas Priest “Firepower” and “Turbo Lover”.

Then it had some albums I expected from artists like Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Oasis and Jeff Buckley.

Anyway I called up “Sonic Highways” from the Foos first and went straight to “I Am A River”. It was the first song that connected with me from the album.

I was pissed off because the headphone jack was playing up as it switched between one ear piece and then both. I played around with it, until I got it working and then clicked repeat.

The feel of the song towards the last 4 minutes is major key feel good happiness and you feel like you can accomplish anything. The same way rivers flow and bring life and sustenance to areas, I feel like I flow into each day with hope and optimism.

I couldn’t pass on “Turbo Lover”. I just dig the way it builds with bass, synths and drums, then vocals and the guitars. Even the guitars build in the song.

Then I was walking the earth with Europe. Pretty ironic since I’m landing in Berlin and Stockholm is in my itinerary a week later.

It’s daunting to some to check out an album, so I’ll set you on the path. Check out “Walk The Earth”, “The Siege”, GTO”, “Whenever You’re Ready” and “Turn To Dust”. If those songs don’t connect, then the others won’t either.

King King with the kilt wearing Les Paul playing vocalist/guitarist was next and their album “Exile And Grace”. The song I went to straight away to was “Find Your Way Home”. It’s one of those bluesy ballads that has killer playing and emotive vocals.

And like Europe, if you want to know what tracks to check out first, “Broken”, “Find Your Way Home”, “Tear It All Up” and “Betrayed Me”.