The trip to remember for our family started in Chiang Mai, Thailand. We were returning to our country of service in the far northeast, a hundred degrees colder than Thailand! Nothing can prepare your body for that drastic shift! Little did I know, the weather shift wasn’t going to be our hardest feat for the day.
We had booked our family’s tickets using frequent-flier miles, which turned out to be the worst decision. What should’ve taken two flights, because of fewer options using miles, took four. Somehow, the itinerary was still within a day’s time, but it would be one long day!
It started at 5 a.m. We were waiting for our “taxi” (the infamous red trucks of Chiang Mai—basically, a pickup truck with benches in the back). We saw two other families get in a truck, but there was no room for us. Thirty minutes later, we called our driver, and he said we were supposed to have squeezed in with those two families! He quickly came back for us, and we arrived at the airport in a rush for time.
Check-in took longer than usual because we had a lap baby who got lost in the system—he didn’t have a ticket. (The same thing happened on all the flights to Chiang Mai, as well!) Flustered, the ticket agent only booked him through to the next city. We were frustrated, having already gone through this, but we didn’t have time for a rebuttal. We got to our gate with enough time to sit down for five minutes before boarding, with, by now, a cranky toddler and baby.
We got off flight number one and booked it—what seemed like miles with cranky kids—to our next gate and immediately boarded. After all that rushing, we ended up sitting on the tarmac and left nearly an hour late. With all the tight connections, this didn’t look good.
In the third city, we landed an hour late and then spent way too long at the transfer counter trying to sort out the missing lap baby ticket for the remaining two flights. No success. He was only checked in on the next flight. Then checking or not checking the stroller became a huge ordeal. By the time all of the negotiating was finished—which was done, thankfully, by my very patient husband while I herded the cats . . . uhh, wild children—we ran to our faraway gate. Why are they always so far away?! We arrived and immediately boarded. Are you keeping track? That’s now two flights we narrowly escaped missing on this crazy itinerary! More to come!
Our fourth city was the capital and a very bustling airport. We landed late—again—and only had forty-five minutes to catch our next flight. Once again, we had to beg the ticket agent to give our lap baby the ticket we had reserved months earlier! However, there was another snag: my husband’s ticket got booked on a later flight than mine, the toddler’s, and the lap baby’s. After a day of stress, I sure wasn’t looking forward to a flight on my own with two wily kids and most of the luggage. But we had no more time to figure it out. We also had to make a split-second decision: go to baggage claim and retrieve our stroller that got checked at the last second, or make our flight. We once again ran to our next gate. And, once again, we arrived at our gate just in time to board. I’m sure the bewildered-mixed-with-anger look on my face as I boarded and left my husband at the gate was a sight to see!
When we landed in our home city, my husband (who normally takes care of the talking and transportation) instructed me to tell one of the many taxi drivers who come up and say, “Hallo! Taxi?” where to take us. As a mama with two tiny people, completely exhausted, dragging two huge suitcases, teeth chattering from entering sub-zero temps without enough clothes on, and kids crying because they were cold, I was overwhelmed with whom to choose that could be trusted. One of the taxi drivers came up and asked if we needed a ride and didn’t seem as pushy, so I went with him. When we walked up to his black sedan, I saw he had a “black taxi” and almost backed out. With my limited language, I asked him if he was legit. He kindly handed me a business card and said he often took foreign visitors around the city. I silently thanked the Lord for watching out for us.
When we safely arrived at our apartment, I thanked him and he asked if I needed help carrying our suitcases up to our fourth-floor apartment. I couldn’t believe his kindness! (In this culture, it isn’t common for strangers to help strangers.) I eagerly accepted and gave him some extra money after he hauled our suitcases up the stairs. What a gift from the Father after such a terrible travel day!
We learned some valuable lessons that day: check and re-check details for each ticket and flight, never book four flights in a day, don’t use miles to save money and forsake sanity, and look for the little blessings scattered throughout such a chaotic day!
What amazingly chaotic travel stories do you have to share?
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I recently discovered these wonderfully fluffy, quick Dutch baby pancakes. They take five minutes to whip up—you just have to wait for the oven to heat! My kids devour the whole pan and could surely eat another if I had a big enough oven to make two at a time! Those of you who live where this is a common dish, please share any tips, alterations, or favorite toppings!
Dutch Baby Pancakes
Ingredients:
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup milk, at room temperature
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- Pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon (optional)
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- Toppings: fruit, syrup, preserves, confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon sugar, etc.
Instructions:
- Heat oven to 425° F/ 220° C.
- Combine eggs, milk flour, sugar, and nutmeg in a bowl. Whisk vigorously until all flour clumps are incorporated. The batter may also be mixed in a blender.
- Place butter in an oven-safe, 10-inch skillet and place in the oven. As soon as the butter has melted (watch it so it does not burn) add the batter to the pan, return the pan to the oven, and bake for 20 minutes, until the pancake is puffed and golden.
- Remove pancake from oven, cut into wedges, and serve at once with toppings of your choice!
3 Responses
My story like that was back when I was deported from one country. We had a 4-month-old, a 2-year-old, and a 4-year-old. We traveled most of the way as a family, but for the last flight I was alone with the kids. After more than 24 hours of travel, when we landed, it was like they were unconscious. I couldn’t wake any of them or get them to move! We were way in the back of the plane. There was an off-duty airline employee back there, too. He actually carried the two bigger kids for me to the plane exit, where I got our stroller and stacked them on it. I only had to carry the baby, and then manage the stroller, once we were off the plane.
Oh my! I know exactly what you mean with the jet-lagged, exhausted noodle kids. To handle that alone is quite the feat! Yay for kind flight attendants who saw the need and helped. 🙂
Ohhhh this gives me and probably everyone else flashbacks!! I once had a stranger run with me to a gate, pulling my luggage while I carried/dragged two littles.
My in-laws mix lemon juice with powdered sugar for a lemony glaze for Dutch baby pancakes.