A quick recap on the recent weeks which have been a whirlwind of last minute arrangements, an unbelievable amount of packing that we would not have finished if my Mum hadn't come out to help us (thanks Mum! - seriously, there were 86 boxes and this was after we had sold a ton of stuff on Craig's List), and trying to find a minute or two to breathe in between all of that.
Finally got our e-tickets just a week and a half before we were due to leave and thank goodness they were for all four of us. For the last three months or so, it has been under question if the powers that be were going to let us travel as a family or make the boys and I wait eight to ten weeks before coming out. Obviously that would have caused more than a couple of problems as our lease on our Chicago apt was up at the end of July and I no longer had a job! Phew that it all worked out - it had been more than a bit nerve-wracking, but we had tickets in hand for August 3rd.
After the flat was packed, we headed out to Rockford to drop off Nero who is staying with his Grandmother until we can bring him over to join us. And then we were thankfully able to get a bit of calm before the flight as we headed out to Michigan City to visit with friends at their lake house for three days before our flight. It was much needed and much, much appreciated!
So August 3rd dawned in Michigan City and I think if we would have known what we were in for in the next 31 hours, there might have been some 'adult beverages' with our breakfast. We tidied the lake house, and headed out to catch the 8:30am train to Chicago. Two hours later and back in the city we had to finish packing our suitcases and run a few last minute errands. All very hectic with people coming by to pick up the remaining Craig's list items, while weighing suitcases, closing bank accounts and picking up local currency, returning library books and taking out the rubbish.
We four, plus our eight suitcases and assorted extras, make it into the cab, to the airport, through security and onto the plane no problems. But as we saw the packed plane and extremely close quarters that were going to be our home for the next 15 hours, I think that Matthew's 6ft 5in frame may have had a moment of dread - as did we all and rightly so. But we dealt and were very grateful when 40 minutes before landing the captain got on the PA system as we thought he was announcing our landing. Well, he was, but not in Abu Dhabi. When your Captain says "hey, so we used more fuel than we thought and need to land in Doha right now" and then you start coming down from 30,000 ft VERY fast, it is a tad alarming. But all was ok, and after a very bumpy landing, half an hour for refueling, we were back on our way to Abu Dhabi and only ended up being three hours late getting in and only a little ruffled.
Once we got our luggage, there were buses ready to take us to our hotel and we got into our rooms at midnight local time starving and exhausted. While I had a bath (and fell asleep in the tub), Matthew and the boys went out to find some food and came back with Popeye's chicken and biscuits as there weren't a lot of options open. Now, anyone who knows us in the slightest will know just how not us it is to eat fast food. But at half past one in the morning, having been traveling from Michigan City, Indiana to Abu Dhabi via taxi, train, subway, walking, taxi, plane and bus for the past 31 hours it was the best damn food we've ever tasted! Next time - on the ground in Abu Dhabi...
Finally got our e-tickets just a week and a half before we were due to leave and thank goodness they were for all four of us. For the last three months or so, it has been under question if the powers that be were going to let us travel as a family or make the boys and I wait eight to ten weeks before coming out. Obviously that would have caused more than a couple of problems as our lease on our Chicago apt was up at the end of July and I no longer had a job! Phew that it all worked out - it had been more than a bit nerve-wracking, but we had tickets in hand for August 3rd.
After the flat was packed, we headed out to Rockford to drop off Nero who is staying with his Grandmother until we can bring him over to join us. And then we were thankfully able to get a bit of calm before the flight as we headed out to Michigan City to visit with friends at their lake house for three days before our flight. It was much needed and much, much appreciated!
So August 3rd dawned in Michigan City and I think if we would have known what we were in for in the next 31 hours, there might have been some 'adult beverages' with our breakfast. We tidied the lake house, and headed out to catch the 8:30am train to Chicago. Two hours later and back in the city we had to finish packing our suitcases and run a few last minute errands. All very hectic with people coming by to pick up the remaining Craig's list items, while weighing suitcases, closing bank accounts and picking up local currency, returning library books and taking out the rubbish.
We four, plus our eight suitcases and assorted extras, make it into the cab, to the airport, through security and onto the plane no problems. But as we saw the packed plane and extremely close quarters that were going to be our home for the next 15 hours, I think that Matthew's 6ft 5in frame may have had a moment of dread - as did we all and rightly so. But we dealt and were very grateful when 40 minutes before landing the captain got on the PA system as we thought he was announcing our landing. Well, he was, but not in Abu Dhabi. When your Captain says "hey, so we used more fuel than we thought and need to land in Doha right now" and then you start coming down from 30,000 ft VERY fast, it is a tad alarming. But all was ok, and after a very bumpy landing, half an hour for refueling, we were back on our way to Abu Dhabi and only ended up being three hours late getting in and only a little ruffled.
Once we got our luggage, there were buses ready to take us to our hotel and we got into our rooms at midnight local time starving and exhausted. While I had a bath (and fell asleep in the tub), Matthew and the boys went out to find some food and came back with Popeye's chicken and biscuits as there weren't a lot of options open. Now, anyone who knows us in the slightest will know just how not us it is to eat fast food. But at half past one in the morning, having been traveling from Michigan City, Indiana to Abu Dhabi via taxi, train, subway, walking, taxi, plane and bus for the past 31 hours it was the best damn food we've ever tasted! Next time - on the ground in Abu Dhabi...
Glad to hear that you are all there, well, and safe. Lynn and I just returned from Guatemala. Amazing. We are talking spanglish now with regularity at home, mixing the words we know in Español with the ones we don;t know in English. Amusing.
ReplyDeleteGot some killer coffee. Wish you were here to share it! Hope to post some pics soon.
Sorry for the trials. Do keep in touch!!! - Love Joe & Lynn