This post reminds me so much of the movie, The Terminal. Okay, it might be a lame movie for some but it just says “Patience is a virtue – which is true enough in most cases. But if patience constitutes waiting for hours in one place, such as let’s say… the airport, then doing so would make someone a likely candidate for sainthood. Hehe.

So how can you exactly murder hours while waiting? Surprisingly, there are lots! Shop! If you have the extra cash to burn, buying a trinket or two for the folks back home will only endear you to their eyes. It does make for a much warmer welcome when you come back.

Beef up and prepare yourself for the immobility of the fourteen-hour flight to the other side of the world. Make use of the airport gym. Many local and international airports already offer the services of a health gym in the property. If there isn’t one, then walk around. It is your choice whether to do a stroll slow or a solitary walkathon. Just let the blood circulate through your veins and loosen those muscles.

Make use of the Internet kiosks. Blog, update your profile in your favorite social network site, check your e-mail, chat with friends or strangers, and even read juicy bits about your favorite Hollywood star. The Web boasts hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of sites of interest. I’m sure you can find a fraction of it with which you can make use of your time.

Explore the airport and find unique attractions. There are some airports that offer special services to flyers. You can have your shoes polished, or you can lose yourself in a drink or two at the airport bar.

Read a book. Try to grab anything from the airport bookstore. A magazine. A work of fiction. A how-to guide. Try to explore something that you haven’t really paid particular attention in and be a smarter person after the wait.

If Tom Hanks’ character could live in an airport, a few hours of waiting surely won’t be too big of a deal. Patience, after all, is a virtue.