Back to Africa: Travel Woes

April 9

After three fun-filled weeks in the states, we return to Swaziland.  Alyssa and I had a long trip and to deal with the stress of traveling, she came up with a cute idea.  Her carry-on luggage became her family and so did the big pieces.  It was cute everywhere she went, she called my carry-on her “big sister” and her princess carry-on her “baby sister.”  This made walking through the long terminals, going through customs and security checks at four major international airports bearable (and fun).  Everyone that came into contact thought it was cute as well.  “C’mon baby sister let’s go.”  She played with her, danced with her, sat on her “neck.”  When we got to the hotel, she also brought it into bed!  My poor girl..She really wants a sibling!  Well if you could call Alyssa “excess baggage” you certainly can call the rest of our bags our brothers and our sisters.

Travel woe number two.  During the long airplane ride you are always bound to hit turbulence.  Every time we do, Alyssa says “mommy are we landing?”  She knows that every time we land, it’s a guarantee that the plane shakes, rumbles and roars.  My little seasoned traveler.  If I were to count the many times she’s traveled, I’m sure it’s over a dozen by now, since the time she left Brussels at nine months.

Trip 1, 2008: 9 Months from Brussels à Canada.

Trip 2: Canada à DC.

Trip 3: DC à FL.

(2008-2013) And in between from flying back to Canada, taking a long car ride from Maryland back to Florida in 2009 and taking planes back to DC for Christmas..Quite a few. I lost track.

Recent

Trip 2013: FL à  DC for 8 week’s, momma’s training

Trip 2013:  DC à  Atlanta

And Atlanta à Johannesburg (JNB) and car ride to Mbabane, Swaziland

Christmas 2013: We drove three hours from Swaziland to Johannesburg then caught a plane to Cape Town.

JNB à Cape Town

Cape Town à JNB

January 2014

Mbabane à Johannesburg (domestic flight)

JNB à Mbabane

March 2014

JNB à London Heathrow

London à Newark

Newark à Fort Lauderale

April 2014

Fort Lauderdale à Newark

Newark à Frankfurt

Frankfurt à JNB

SO… Just counting all the planes I tracked this year and last year plus when she departed overseas is already 16 plane rides (each leg) total!!! So Alyssa, a seasoned travel has certainly done at least 25 plane rides (12 round trips) total.  Easily… And not once has she been Afraid.  Except today when she didn’t sleep for 10 hours and would not take the antihistamine pill because it was “yucky.”  By the time we were two hours away from landing she started freaking out saying she couldn’t yawn and thought she was “dying.”  What she felt was probably extreme tiredness crossing time zones, dehydration from the 10+ hour flight and the 6+ hour flight the day before.  My poor girl. I hope that my traveling days will wind down.


Welcome home to your new master bathroom.  Some work was done at our house while we were gone.