What a feat! You managed so well!
This is SUCH a good idea.
Thanks. I was pulling all my organizational and past traveling experiences from my arsenal. I think having gone on so many trips in the past year really helped the kids understand what was happening. We had flown to Rome about 4 months prior, so the airport protocols were still in Landon's mind, I think.
Such a long travel day for you guys but it sounds like you made out well all things considered! I can't imagine how tired you were when all was said and done!
I was one tired lady, I won't lie.
When I was able to close my eyes and try to sleep I actually ended up struggling to fall asleep, because I was just SO tired. My body was like, "All right, we're never resting again. Better keep the body buzzing even though we're lying in a comfy bed."
If you don't mind sharing, where might one find this blog? And if you posted before and I missed it, I apologize.
Not sure I've ever shared it on the DIS before, I usually just post about it on my facebook.
It's here:
An Awfully Big Military Adventure
That is some expert level planning! But you'd definitely have to plan on that level for a trip like this.
Oh, definitely worth it! You'd have spent more than that if you parked at the "cheap" long term lots that you access by bus at most US airports.
Technically, this cost me a lot more than the offsite places. They were running about 80 dollars for the length of my trip, but I just didn't want to deal with a shuttle to and from the airport. I guess over here parking is a lot cheaper because people fly a lot more than in the states. If you can catch a good deal, you can fly from Germany to Italy for about 50 bucks. Which is wayyyy less than the ICE train or paying for gas and driving yourself.
That's actually pretty impressive. 9 hours and only 2 trips to the bathroom? Our kids would probably make 9 trips in 2 hours.
I've got one of those kids that can go to the bathroom once or twice throughout the whole day. At school, his teachers are always telling him to take a potty break even though he swears he doesn't need one.
I'm impressed. I wouldn't have handled it so well. That stroller could be a lifesaver in getting 2 kids through the airport. Not having it when you need it... well, I'm glad you were mentally prepared and tough enough to deal with it in the moment!
Kids love the chicken fries...
Trust me, when you've been stressing about keeping your kids safe and taken care of throughout the airport and international flight, a little thing like a stroller seems like a small issue. Plus, I was finally back in the states where I could easily buy a new one. If the situation were reversed and it had been lost in Frankfurt, I would have been REALLY upset because I couldn't have shipped that brand to my home.
The kids hadn't had Burger King in over a year; they had forgotten about the amazingness of chicken fries!
Wow, I'm so impressed with your organization and patience. You did great. I find if you attach something with a positive attitude and not think about what you can't do it helps. You definitely had a can do attitude and a much stronger person for doing it. I'm looking forward to more of your trip.
That is true, your attitude can really determine what kind of day you're going to have. I just kept telling myself that whatever I encountered along the way would bring me one step closer to my vacation and time with my family. It also helped that I didn't run into too many hiccups. From other people's stories, I was expecting a little more trouble getting the kids cleared to fly with me (I had to get special power of attorneys and copies of Alex's deployment orders) but luck was with me that day and none of those issues arose.
Whew... what a travel day. You are super mom!!!!!
Haha, hardly, but I was really proud of myself for taking a risk and making the trip. It gave me a new sense of courage and now I'm even more excited to travel in the future. If I can fly internationally with two toddlers, what are the possibilities once my husband rejoins us and I have help?!