The Trip

Jackson and I recently made the trip back to Japan. Most of it was hideous and I hope to soon forget it, but it will forever remain etched in my memory. I am already dreading the next flight back to the states. Why, you ask was this trip so awful that I would post a blog about it? Hmmm....let's have a recap...

Saying goodbye is never fun, but it had to be done. In the Sea-Tac airport, tears, hugs, and then walking away.

Security. Hate it! I of all people understand that it is a must. And I know that these security people deal with hundreds of travelers a day. But is it really necessary to be so rude and obnoxious? Do they help you? A resounding NO. Traveling alone with an 11 month old is not easy, I did not need them to make it harder on me, but yet they did.

I entertained Jackson with several rice crackers, his toy dinosaur, and a sippy of apple juice for an hour before we boarded our plane. When he finally became board with my routine, I wondered how on earth I would entertain him for the 11 hour flight in a tightly cramped space.

The 11 hour flight consisted of Jackson crying for about 8 hours. No kidding. It was awful. Within the first 30 minutes after takeoff Jackson threw up all over me, right down my shirt. For the rest of the plane ride we both smelled of vomit. There is no airflow on the plane either, so sweating profusely was on my agenda for the flight. I learned that my son is very strong when he wants something bad enough, and even I have a hard time containing him with his flailing limbs and arched back. Jackson really just wanted down to play, but he is a rough and tumble fellow in his playing. We sat between two young Asian girls. One had long hair, in which Jackson pulled hard enough to make her head jerk to the side. He also, while standing in front of me and holding on to my legs, leaned over and bit the girl's knee. He's only had teeth for a month and he just doesn't have the hang of them yet. The other girl had headphones that she was listening to. Jackson repeatedly unplugged them and turned her music/tv on and off. He was loud and very vocal about not wanting to sit still. And even when he was quiet, he was causing trouble. The boy loves string, so when he caught a glimpse of the string coming out of headphone girl's hoodie, he pulled and pulled until he had a string to play with. When I realized where it had come from I handed it back to the girl and apologized repeatedly. During one of his crying spells, an American girl from a few seats back came up and snottily asked me to do something about his crying. I as nicely as I could, but with a look that could have burned a hole right through her, told her that I already was doing everything that I could. She stomped back to her seat and began loudly whispering nasty things about me to her friend. Obviously she wasn't a mom, and if by chance she was.... shame shame on her! Really? What more could I do? It was a night flight, my son was exhausted and ready for bed, but only had me to sleep on. The drink carts and meals were coming up and down aisles and the lights were on high. His ears were most likely bothering him. It was torture to that little guy. And I felt horrible for putting him through it. It had to be done. And finally we made it to the other side of the Pacific.

Seoul Korea! The rest of the trip was pretty decent actually. There we were getting off our plane at about 3 am Seattle time. Praise Jesus we made it! I quickly went through all of the security checks (customer service is fantastic on this side of the ocean), got my next boarding pass, and made my way through the crowded airport. It was mid day in Korea and there was hustle and bustle going on all around us. The airport is like a shopping heaven. Gucci, Coach, and Prada shops lined the hallways. There are spas, restaurants galore, and a kid zone padded play room. There is also a transit hotel for passengers with long layovers. That was us. 14 hours is a long time to wait.

So I went to the hotel and checked us into a room. It was a nice room, small, but had a bathroom and shower, a full size bed, and a mini fridge full of snacks (I hadn't eaten on the plane). Jackson and I were both delighted to rip all our smelly clothes off and jump in the shower. After that we both went to sleep. For almost the entire rest of the layover. I had a wake up call. Woke up, showered and did my hair and make up, put on a summer dress that I had packed in my carry on. I wanted to look lovely, I hadn't seen Brandon for months and we would soon be getting our first glimpses of each other. Only a few more hours, I began to get butterflies. I got Jackson ready in his clean clothes, paid my tab for my room, and we made our way down to our gate. We stopped at a coffee shop on the way and grabbed some breakfast.

It wasn't long before we were in the air. It's only an hour and fifteen minute flight. We had the bulkhead to ourselves and Jackson happily played on the floor. It went by fast and we were soon getting our bags and going through customs. It's not easy to get two suitcases onto a cart and then push it and a stroller at the same time through a long line. I did it with glee knowing what my reward would be on the other side. We made it through and followed the line of people out to the lobby. Drum-roll please.....And there stood the most handsome man I've ever seen. My husband! He hugged Jackson and I in one big scoop. And I felt instant relief. I was home. Our family was together again. It was bliss.

2 weeks have gone by already, hard to believe. We are happy to be home and to be getting back on track. Organizing and baby proofing our house has been a huge project, but worth all of the hours spent doing it. Jackson is adjusting well. Brandon is thrilled to have us home. And the boys of the house are like two peas in a pod. Jackson is so happy to be home with his Daddy. Thanks to all of you who prayed for our safe trip. I enjoyed seeing you all over the summer. It's unclear when we will come back to the states next. But I'm sure there will be a story to tell when we do.