It seems like the Backstreet Boys have perfect lives - jetting off to Europe for a concert, hopscotching across the United States for radio station appearances and getting mobbed by loving fans like you everywhere they go. Their globe-trotting lifestyle definitely has its perks, and Aj McLean, Nick Carter, Brian Littrell, Howie Dorough and Kevin Richardson will gladly admit it! "The best part of the job is touring and traveling the world," Aj tells BOP enthusiastically.
But no matter how exotic the destination, after a while all of the airplane food, time changes and traveling stress catch up to these babes, leaving them too pooped to party. "That's the thing," 19 year-old Aj groans. "There is so much work involved with the press and photo shoots and all these things that happen. But there is still a lot of fun involved with it."
Spending most of their time on airplaines is what really drags these songbirds down. After all, being cooped up in a jet for 10 hours or longer can be a major drag. "What I do is, when I'm flying across the Atlantic, I stay up the night before," 25 year-old kevin confesses. "Say we're going to leave at noon or 11 o'clock or maybe 8 o'clock in the morning. I'll stay up the whole night before, so as soon as I get on the plance, I'm out. I sleep the entire way."
Kevin, who prides himself on watching what he eats and taking care of himself, also uses a natural supplement to regulate his internal clock instead of taking sleeping pills. "I take melatonin," the green-eyed hunk explains. "It helps you sleep, so when you make up you don't fell groggy."
Seventeen your old Nick takes kevin's lead, admitting to BOP. "I don't sleep the night before, too." Howie is also on the no-sleep and melatonin bandwagon. "That way I sleep the whole flight and then my body is back on my regular time clock when I get back." the 24 your old babe explains.
As for Aj, well, he has a slightly different trick for conking out inflight. "I take Dramamine," the 19 year-old sweeties says. "That stuff helps me a lot and puts me to sleep."
The guys definitely have their jet lag cures down to a science, and it seems to be working. "We don't get much jet lag anymore because we fly so much." Aj laughs. And as for lucky Brian, it was never much of a problem in the first place! "I don't have a lot of tricks," the 22 year-old admits. "Just the atmosphere of the plane makes me sleepy anyway. It doesn't matter if I stay up or go to sleep the night before. I just try to deal with it."
Once the guys get to their destination, there's another hurdle to tackle when their stomachs start to rumble : food! While the guys find the same kind of eats all over America, when they amble out of the continent, they're usually in for a surprise.
"What you realize when you go to Europe is, besides McDonald's, they don't have some of the things that we have to eat," Nick explains. Bur Aj, for one, is mighty glad that McDonald's can be found almost anywhere that band goes. "Aj eats a lot of McDonald's," Howie sighs. "He's just not as experimental, although every once in a while he'll try something."
Aj for Howie, he'll almost anything - once. "It,s not so much of a culture shock for me, because if America, I had already tried different stuff, like Oriental fook," the curly-haired cutie says. "And I've tried sausages and sauerkraut, so when I go over to Germany, it's not such a big thing."
But even if they've well-rested and well-fed, that can't stop the gnawing feeling in the Backstreet Boys hearts. Being far from family and friends can be a real bummer. But oldest member Kevin has found a way to feel at least a little more at home, if not to get rid of his yearning for his mom's yummy Kenticky cooking or his bedroom back in Orlando. "I just make time to plan fun things to do, like go to a movie, go bowling, or go out a club," Kevin comments. He also makes sure he drags along the rest of the guys to get them out of their homsickness funk as well. "We try to make more time for ourselves because you need it," he explains. "It helps you feel more normal."
The boys definitely have their busy lives under control, except for one little thing. Turns out, as many fans as they have, the Backstreet Boys haven't found the trick for keeping girlfriends in the picture. "Being ayways and not being able to call, and her phone bill being enormous and mine, too, it just doesn't work," Aj groans. "And then you try to date people overseas, but eventually you leave them and go back home. It's almost impossible unless you have somebody with you 24-7."
Sounds like going solo, inducing in-flight snoozing and eating not-so-cool gruel is the price these dedicated guys pay to bring their music to you. It kind of makes you love them even more, doesn't it?
