Part of me wondered if I would ever have the chance to pick this blog back up. The last times I wrote, we had ended 2019 with an amazing safari in Kenya and Tanzania and started 2020 by celebrating Carnivale in Quebec. We had so many plans.
And then Covid happened.
And all our travel plans were put on pause while we hunkered down with the rest of the world. And just when life started to get normal again for everyone else, Josh and I decided to totally upend our glorious child-free-by-choice lifestyle with a crazy notion that we might enjoy becoming parents. We had so many plans.
And then Baby M was born.
So much has changed! We have, in fact, enjoyed most things about the chaotic metamorphosis of becoming parents. A big part of what we’ve enjoyed is introducing M to our love of travel.
We, of course, have had to adjust our pace, plan more in advance and learn a thing or two about going with the flow. We have no shame anymore.
We’ve had diaper blow-outs in national parks. Spit-up explosions in nice restaurants. And more than a couple public meltdowns (though she really does well most of the time.)
At two years old, M has already been to 9 states, developed a love of all modes of transportation and become a pro at hotel bedtimes. And, so the time felt right to venture out of our domestic-only travel bubble and take this kid on her first Euro Trip.
Unfortunately, the journey here has been fraught with disappointment. For starters, this was never supposed to be a Euro Trip to begin with. For months, we’ve planned a family vacation (with my parents and younger brother). Two weeks in Alaska. Starting with a cruise and ending with a drive around the state. Whale watching. Glacier hiking. Halibut fishing. Northern lights. We had so many plans.
Unfortunately, the day before we were set to fly out, the cruise company canceled our trip due to mechanical issues with the ship’s propeller. With the credits they offered us, it made the most sense to postpone the second half of our trip, as well, and just reschedule the whole thing for next year.
But what to do with all this time we had already taken off work?
Josh and I felt like we had trained for this moment over the last decade of traveling together. We had two days to plan an amazing vacation that met or exceeded the needs and expectations of 6 people. For two nights - after Ms bedtime - we researched and planned. We found some cheap airfare to Copenhagen, booked a few AirBnBs, dusted off the passports and headed to the airport.
Our troubles began about two hours before take-off from Charlotte. Weather at JFK grounded all inbound flights and our plans of a direct New York to Copenhagen flight went out the window. Not only was our flight canceled by the time we made it to the airline desk for rescheduling, there was nothing available into New York for two days.
Rebooking six people on the same flight brought its own set of challenges, but a steadfast agent took pity on our plight and spent over 45 minutes getting us rebooked for a flight to Copenhagen by way of Amsterdam, Netherlands . . . by way of Minneapolis, Minnesota. With an almost 10 hour layover at the later.
Our last minute hotel booking dropped our confirmed reservation and then our Uber never showed. But, we were still at the airport at 3:30 am the next day ready for our seat assignments on a 5:00 am flight to Minneapolis.
At this point, we were only losing about a day of vacation. It was a brutal 10 hours of waiting time but the airport had a nice playground for M and the American Express Escape Lounge kept us fed, hydrated, libated and with fully charged cell phones in a comfortable-enough setting.
The first delay was for 15 minutes and was frankly welcomed as Delta, unfortunately, does not have a policy that guarantees children can sit with a family member and each member of our group (including two-year-old M) was seated in the middle of a random, solo, four-across middle seat next to strangers.
The delay gave us time to sort out seats and get one of us moved next to her. The idea of sitting alone with a two-year-old for a nine-hour flight had me in a panic. We agreed to divide the time, but neither of us were thrilled with the idea of doing this flight as a single-parent. Especially considering we paid extra for our tickets to sit together on our original flight plans.
A 15 minute delay turned into 30 and an hour. And then 2. The plane’s air conditioning broke. Then it was fixed but some other undisclosed issue had been discovered. Then the flight crew timed out. They offered us $30 each in meal vouchers around 8:00 (after everyone had already eaten, of course).
Almost 6 hours later they scrounged up a new plane and a new crew and we were able to leave. The good news was that so many people had already rebooked, there was plenty of room for us to sit together. Little one was so excited for her first bedtime on an “aero plane” (thanks Peppa Pig). She slept great and, really, held it together better than any of us adults.
We, of course, missed our connection in Amsterdam - basically costing us another half-day of the trip. But, we were able to get booked for another flight to Copenhagen that afternoon.
The additional delays had us pushing for time and didn’t allow us to sort out the issue with the fact that our gate-checked stroller didn’t arrive. The agent in Amsterdam assured us it would be at baggage claim at our final destination and that M was a “big girl” who could walk.
She was not.
Needless to say it was a mess getting her and all our carryon luggage through customs and the airport in general, but we did it just in time to board the flight to Copenhagen.
Just in time to be told we were delayed on the tarmac. And then delayed again.
When we finally took off nearly two hours after our scheduled departure and M had finally reached her limit. After two days of being a real trooper through constantly changing plans and new spaces, the meltdown we had been hoping to avoid came in with vengeance.
It was a rough flight. For everyone.
I have never been more thankful to get off a plane in my life. Transporting M through this airport was even more of a struggle because we now had our checked bags to manage with no stroller.
Because, surprise surprise, the stroller never arrived with the bags. M was still cranky, hungry and exhausted. We spent the next two hours on a baggage-agent directed wild goose chase searching for the bags in all the possible locations only to turn up empty handed before we were allowed to submit a claim.
After that it was a 20 minute train ride and a mile walk to our residence for the week. All-in-all we lost two full days of our trip and non-refundable reservations.
But we were happy to have made it and to be going to bed across the pond for the first time in three years.
The stroller was sorely missed, however, so our first order of business the next morning was for Josh and I to walk across town to the nearest baby store we could find and spend way too much money on a new one. Thankfully, my mom was already up and agreed to keep an eye on M until we returned.
While the walk across town was nice and reminded me of the “good old days” of traveling with just the two of us (free, light and quick-paced), we were happy to find our sweet (still sleeping) M, cozy in bed, when we returned.
So, yeah, I had plans for what this travel blog would be when I started it a decade ago.
But, plans change and our travel-style has definitely changed, too.
I can’t promise as frequent updates or as adventurous destinations. I can’t pack as light or go for as long. We carry snacks now. And loads of hand sanitizer. We have a bedtime. We need a stroller and we have to pay extra for better seats. No more dirt cheap hotels, sketchy transportation or fine dining. It’s way harder now.
I’m slower and sleepier and I’ve got so much darn luggage to carry. But, I hope you’ll join me on these new adventures of the old Airport Court. Because I’m back.
. . . and because all my old followers are gone now.
Comments