12:30 AM (Kenyan time): I'm on zero sleep, but off we go to the airport. 30 mins later, we give "Daddy" (Bryan) very reluctant kisses goodbye. I feel like the US Embassy owes him a visa right about...now!!
2:30-ish AM: Bella's crawling all over JKIA's filthy floor. The other travelers are giving me weird looks, but who cares. They don't have a curious almost-toddler that they have to entertain for two international flights. Crawl more little girl! Get all that energy out! This is your chance!
4:30 AM: On-board and we're off on our first flight! The Egypt Air stewardess tells me that Egypt Air doesn't provide baby seat belts; that they consider baby's to be safest in their mother's arms alone (wtf??). They provide us with a basinet that sits on the floor of airplane...do they really think I'm going to put my sleeping baby on the floor? What happens when there is turbulence? Oops, there goes the baby, flying around the airplane...?! Egypt Air is obviously made up of oblivious (and childless) crazies, but what am I supposed to do? We've already taken off. My arms are aching, but I hold Bella the whole 5 (6??) hour flight. Just as we're about to start our decent into Cairo, Bella decides that that is the precise time that she wants to take a gigantic dump. A cloud forms above our seat. I'm surrounded by conservatives and women with veils. Probably not the best place to go stripping my baby butt naked, but really? The seatbelt sign is on and Bella's looking uncomfortable in her now squishy pants. <shrug> Even conservatives have vaginas. Off go the pants and I change Bella right there as she stands up on the seat. Wallah! Mission complete! Bella's in a fresh pair of pull ups by the time we touch down. Can we, SUPER MOM!!! Oh yea...:)
8:30 AM (Egyptian time): We've landed in Cairo safe n' sound. Still no sleep for "Mommy." I'm more than a little delirious, but I've got a little baby with me who's wide awake so there's no sleep coming my way anytime soon.
10:30 AM (Egyptian time): Back up in the air on a slightly more modern plane - Bella gets a basinet that actually fastens to the wall this time - woohoo! The closer we inch toward America, the more modernity we are allowed apparently. No baby seat belts on this flight either - guess that's too much to ask for <le sigh>. Bella wants to crawl - sitting on mum's lap is for infants she seems to say. Thankfully the guy next to me is a socialite drunk who seems fine spending most of his time up front at the in-flight bar - more room for Bella!! I engage in friendly small talk with the American lady two seats over precisely so that she can help me watch Bella :p
4:30PM (American time): Bella and I are finally off that incredibly long flight across Northern Africa and the Atlantic. We're through US Immigration and Baggage Claim. Bella is strapped to my front, I have my back pack and am dragging two international suitcases. SUPER MOM? Yes, that is me. Off we go to the Skytrain.
4:45PM: Arrived at Jamaica Station. About 15 people have asked if they can help me somehow. Everybody and their mother has cooed over Bella and commented, "oh my, she is just so completely gorgeous!" Bella just looks at them with a blank look as if to say, "duh. I'm a mix of two worlds. Of course I'm gorgeous. Us mixed kids don't come ugly." On our way towards the metro we have to step out into the cold, COLD New York air - Bella screams with shock! I may have her dressed a little inappropriately for this weather. Her warm clothes are in the bottom of my bag, but when would I have had time to get them? Every time I put Bella down, she either cries because she's in an unfamiliar place, or she wants to crawl at lightening speed into a crowd of pedestrians. Her torso is fine covered by three layers, but summer capris on the bottom will just have to do for now. A Jamaican lady gives me a lecture about how I need to dress my baby warmer and hurries me into the heated waiting area.
5:00 PM: We're onboard the NYC Metro. Just to make the point of solidarity, I may have purposely sat next to the lone African American guy, as opposed to the group of white folks on the other side of the train car. <raised eyebrows above blue eyes> Judge much? The guy ends up telling me his life story - how he quit smoking, how he's always wanted to go to Africa and the story goes on. Bella just stares at him quietly.
5:30 PM: We have arrived at Penn Station. The guy announces that he is going to help us with our bags. I realize that I shouldn't accept because he is a complete stranger, but I am completely and thoroughly exhausted so I shrug and thank him for his kindness. How could he run away with my bags anyway? They way a ton a piece! After several more chapters of his life story and two flights of stairs, we arrive at the Penn Station ticket counter. Our friendly companion refuses a tip I offer him, wishes me a happy holiday and off he goes. The Amtrak ticket lady tells me that the soonest she can get me on a train up north is about two hours from now. I park our stuff in the Special Assistance waiting area and the two of us conk out on a seat that would probably be uncomfortably normally, but feels like a cooshy sofa to our exhausted selves.
7:15 PM: We're on our third train of the day and chugging along up north. Bella is passed out. I do the same.
10:30 PM: My hair is a mess, I've bags under my eyes and Bella looks like she's drunk, but Dad is looking thrilled to see us. All I want to do is sleep, but Dad chats the whole 1.5 hours home.
Midnight: We are finally, FINALLY home in Cooperstown. After a several hour nap, Bella is wide awake and smiling at her American grandparents. I'm so tired that I'm no longer completely aware of my exhaustion. We stay up for another 2.5 hours playing, feeding and bathing Bella. When we finally do get to sleep, I don't even realize it. All I do is blink before Bella is crawling all over me at 10AM the next morning...
Longest international trip in the history of traveling moms, but we did it. Now to enjoy being home <3
2:30-ish AM: Bella's crawling all over JKIA's filthy floor. The other travelers are giving me weird looks, but who cares. They don't have a curious almost-toddler that they have to entertain for two international flights. Crawl more little girl! Get all that energy out! This is your chance!
4:30 AM: On-board and we're off on our first flight! The Egypt Air stewardess tells me that Egypt Air doesn't provide baby seat belts; that they consider baby's to be safest in their mother's arms alone (wtf??). They provide us with a basinet that sits on the floor of airplane...do they really think I'm going to put my sleeping baby on the floor? What happens when there is turbulence? Oops, there goes the baby, flying around the airplane...?! Egypt Air is obviously made up of oblivious (and childless) crazies, but what am I supposed to do? We've already taken off. My arms are aching, but I hold Bella the whole 5 (6??) hour flight. Just as we're about to start our decent into Cairo, Bella decides that that is the precise time that she wants to take a gigantic dump. A cloud forms above our seat. I'm surrounded by conservatives and women with veils. Probably not the best place to go stripping my baby butt naked, but really? The seatbelt sign is on and Bella's looking uncomfortable in her now squishy pants. <shrug> Even conservatives have vaginas. Off go the pants and I change Bella right there as she stands up on the seat. Wallah! Mission complete! Bella's in a fresh pair of pull ups by the time we touch down. Can we, SUPER MOM!!! Oh yea...:)
8:30 AM (Egyptian time): We've landed in Cairo safe n' sound. Still no sleep for "Mommy." I'm more than a little delirious, but I've got a little baby with me who's wide awake so there's no sleep coming my way anytime soon.
10:30 AM (Egyptian time): Back up in the air on a slightly more modern plane - Bella gets a basinet that actually fastens to the wall this time - woohoo! The closer we inch toward America, the more modernity we are allowed apparently. No baby seat belts on this flight either - guess that's too much to ask for <le sigh>. Bella wants to crawl - sitting on mum's lap is for infants she seems to say. Thankfully the guy next to me is a socialite drunk who seems fine spending most of his time up front at the in-flight bar - more room for Bella!! I engage in friendly small talk with the American lady two seats over precisely so that she can help me watch Bella :p
4:30PM (American time): Bella and I are finally off that incredibly long flight across Northern Africa and the Atlantic. We're through US Immigration and Baggage Claim. Bella is strapped to my front, I have my back pack and am dragging two international suitcases. SUPER MOM? Yes, that is me. Off we go to the Skytrain.
4:45PM: Arrived at Jamaica Station. About 15 people have asked if they can help me somehow. Everybody and their mother has cooed over Bella and commented, "oh my, she is just so completely gorgeous!" Bella just looks at them with a blank look as if to say, "duh. I'm a mix of two worlds. Of course I'm gorgeous. Us mixed kids don't come ugly." On our way towards the metro we have to step out into the cold, COLD New York air - Bella screams with shock! I may have her dressed a little inappropriately for this weather. Her warm clothes are in the bottom of my bag, but when would I have had time to get them? Every time I put Bella down, she either cries because she's in an unfamiliar place, or she wants to crawl at lightening speed into a crowd of pedestrians. Her torso is fine covered by three layers, but summer capris on the bottom will just have to do for now. A Jamaican lady gives me a lecture about how I need to dress my baby warmer and hurries me into the heated waiting area.
5:00 PM: We're onboard the NYC Metro. Just to make the point of solidarity, I may have purposely sat next to the lone African American guy, as opposed to the group of white folks on the other side of the train car. <raised eyebrows above blue eyes> Judge much? The guy ends up telling me his life story - how he quit smoking, how he's always wanted to go to Africa and the story goes on. Bella just stares at him quietly.
5:30 PM: We have arrived at Penn Station. The guy announces that he is going to help us with our bags. I realize that I shouldn't accept because he is a complete stranger, but I am completely and thoroughly exhausted so I shrug and thank him for his kindness. How could he run away with my bags anyway? They way a ton a piece! After several more chapters of his life story and two flights of stairs, we arrive at the Penn Station ticket counter. Our friendly companion refuses a tip I offer him, wishes me a happy holiday and off he goes. The Amtrak ticket lady tells me that the soonest she can get me on a train up north is about two hours from now. I park our stuff in the Special Assistance waiting area and the two of us conk out on a seat that would probably be uncomfortably normally, but feels like a cooshy sofa to our exhausted selves.
7:15 PM: We're on our third train of the day and chugging along up north. Bella is passed out. I do the same.
10:30 PM: My hair is a mess, I've bags under my eyes and Bella looks like she's drunk, but Dad is looking thrilled to see us. All I want to do is sleep, but Dad chats the whole 1.5 hours home.
Midnight: We are finally, FINALLY home in Cooperstown. After a several hour nap, Bella is wide awake and smiling at her American grandparents. I'm so tired that I'm no longer completely aware of my exhaustion. We stay up for another 2.5 hours playing, feeding and bathing Bella. When we finally do get to sleep, I don't even realize it. All I do is blink before Bella is crawling all over me at 10AM the next morning...
Longest international trip in the history of traveling moms, but we did it. Now to enjoy being home <3
