Hi! I’m 22 years old, originally from South Africa but now living in England (have been for 12 years)

Now, when I moved I was 10 and of course knew nothing about the Earth being flat.
It’s only recently out of pure curiosity that I’m starting to think twice about what we are taught as children.

My flight from Johannesburg, South Africa to Manchester, England had a stop over in Dubai. This was so weird to me when I looked on Google Maps. Why, instead of just going from South Africa straight up to England (since if you look on a normal run of the mill map - the two continents are above each other) did my flight go in a curve?

It makes no sense to me, I’m sure there’s a reason for it but it still messes with my head.