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Travels: The Extended Version

We had quite a time with our travels during this holiday season. Here is a not so quick run down.

To Michigan - Day 1: We left Charlottetown and arrived in Halifax and learned our connecting flight to Toronto was delayed. Finally the plane comes it (it came from London). Before we even get off the plane, they announced three names, including ours, who were to go to counter right away. We knew that we had missed our connection to Grand Rapids, especially since we would have needed to go through customs. Once we got the counter, the agent handed us a folder and told us that we had reservations at a certain hotel and we had meal vouchers for dinner and breakfast. So we couldn't complain really. We went to the baggage claim to get our bags, which didn't come. Wilbert asked the baggage attendant and he said our bags would be up in the customs area since they were supposed to go to the US. So we headed back upstairs and explained our story to the security guard at the entrance. She suggested that only Wilbert go and get the bag and Joash and I meet him at the arrival gate. So we split up. As I was walking with Joash, I really started to second guess this decision, but in the end it worked out fine. Joash was a trooper and played nicely with his cars. Wilbert finally found us, once he figured out there were two arrival gates, one for Canada and one for the US. Joash and I were by Canada, and Wilbert came out the US one. Finally the shuttle came for our hotel and Joash fell asleep on Wilbert while we were waiting for the shuttle. He woke up briefly and had a quick bath which he screamed through and refused his bottle. Wilbert put him in the crib and sang a little and Joash slept the whole night through.

To Michigan - Day 2: We got the airport, checked in and through security with no problems. I enjoyed being able to go through the family line in security. It is nice perk of having flying with a child. We got on out plane and we left just about right on time, I think. Maybe a few minutes late. We might have contributed to that a bit because Wilbert was changing Joash diaper when they started boarding. And since there were only 8 people on this flight, boarding did not take very long.We arrived in Detroit and then waited about 1/2 an hour or for a gate to open up for us. Not cool because once we got inside we figured out we had to take a shuttle to the other terminal. So, by the time we got the right terminal, our flight had left. So, we got in line at the ticket counter and the agent told us the next flight to Grand Rapids left at noon, but it was delayed two hours. There was really no other option, so we went with that and had lunch at the airport. The one challenge with all of these changes was getting a hold of my mom who was going to pick up us. She had left earlier in the morning to do some errands before going to the airport. We didn't have her cell phone number for some reason and when we got there, my mom also told us her cell phone was dead. Eventually, we connected and she was there when we finally arrived in Grand Rapids at 3 in the afternoon.

Back Home - Day 1: We had no problems at all from Grand Rapids to Toronto. Customs and everything went really smoothly. The only weird thing was once we got to Toronto, we had to go to the agent and get a boarding pass printed for Joash. They do things differently in GR I guess, but we got it straightened out. We boarded our plane to Halifax, which was a tiny bit late. But then we waited for a flight to get in from Edmonton because there were probably 20 + passengers from that flight on this one to Halifax. Then we had to wait for the ground crew to come back so we could leave the gate. In all we sat on the plane for close to an hour and a half. I think we knew then already that we were going to miss our connection again. Once we landed in Halifax, they announced that anyone who was connecting to a bunch of cities, including Charlottetown, should go directly to customer service. We got there and learned there were no more flight to Charlottetown for the day. So we were put up in a hotel again and give meal vouchers. We found our luggage much more easily this time, though we were at the wrong baggage claim. I thought I spotted out bag one baggage claim over and upon investigation, I discovered I was right. Joash again was a trooper and slept really well in the hotel.

Back Home - Day 2: A very easy day. Our flight actually arrived a few minutes early. The only bad part was Joash made a stinky diaper right as they started boarding the plane, so we had a sit with it for a while, but we changed him once we got to cruising altitude.

So, all in all, it was a long trip travel wise. But we cannot complain because the air line was very, very good to us.

Comments

Glad Joash was a good traveler for you. I can't tell you how many times my kids have made stinky diapers just as we're boarding. I've changed many a diaper across my lap!

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