The flight out of the US will be magnitudes better. Better food, better service, more space. Just better all around. The idea below about compression socks is a good one. If not that, then be sure to walk around a bit on the plane so that you are not just sitting for 17 hours. Bring charging cables in your carry on so that you can plug in your devices. It would suck to be on a long flight and have your battery run out. Consider a small neck pillow that you can use to sleep on the plane. If it's too bulky, be willing to just throw it away when you arrive (or leave on the plane). You can get some cheap ones on amazon. Wear layers for the long flight. That way you can easily adjust if you get hot or cold. Try to sleep on the plane based on your destination time. You want to be able to enjoy your trip and not be too tired during the days. Melatonin is always a good way to help sleep for many people and doesn't need a prescription. The biggest thing is to just have fun and if something looks interesting, go check it out. If you miss a tourist attraction but have a great time doing something else, then no big loss. All that matters is that you have fun on your trip. Enjoy. Oh and don't forget to take some Hokie gear. I'll bet you run into another Hokie out there on the trip.