TRAVEL DAY #1: ARKANSAS TO DALLAS
We made it to Dallas!
As usual, there are plenty of things that happen to keep us on our toes!
Here are a few of the fun "memories" of travel day #1:
We made it to Dallas!
As usual, there are plenty of things that happen to keep us on our toes!
Here are a few of the fun "memories" of travel day #1:
There sheer number of suitcases was a challenge we knew we would have from the start, but looking at the line up was a bit humorous!!
 | |
| Lining up the luggage at the airport in Arkansas. |
We had all the suitcases numbered AND marked with red ribbons.
As we ascended the escalator at XNA, on our way to security, Mason just about toppled over on the escalator going up and Amy saved him with a quick catch but then her passport fell down the side of the escalator!! NO worries! Benjamin was there and gathered it up quickly! WHILE that was happening, notice I said, "WHILE" that was happening, Rachel was right behind Mason and Amy on the escalator and she let go of our over stuffed suitcase and it started rolling backwards down the escalator with the pull handle extended. So Rachel is bounding down the moving escalator working to catch her suitcase!
I was busy kissing Dad goodbye when I heard the noise and watched them get things under control.
There was a couple behind us as Dad and I followed the kids up the escalator and they chuckled. I told her what was funny is that this was the beginning of a long trip to China! She chuckled again and said, "Well, if we hear of any mishaps in China we'll know you got there!" Ha ha! We did not look like seasoned travelers at this point! Oh well!
Security was a little chaotic, but we made it. One carry on suitcase that we had assigned to Mason got a complete "dump out" and searched. It turned out just fine, but we did find 2 pairs of scissors in there !!! Oops! That has all been repacked now!
Basically, it had been packed tight with random things from a case of DVDs to vitamins to underwear, etc. It was the last "catch all" suitcase and I think that randomness confused them!
As we waited at the gate, I asked Benjamin to fill up my water bottle. I tucked it in the side pocket of my backpack. After take off, I pulled up my backpack from under the seat and found it damp and the floor under the seat soaked and the water bottle empty. Oops. The blessing is that nothing really got wet -- the carpet soaked it all up and that will dry.
A fun thing is that Amy, who sat a few rows
up from us, sat by a man who had just returned from Suzhou!!! She
spent the entire 2 hour flight hearing all about Suzhou!!! He also
offered her a job in Bentonville, AR when we get back!!!
When we arrived in Dallas, we made a wrong turn and ended up backtracking to find the right baggage claim. By the time we got there, everyone was gone, the machine was no longer moving and there were our 20 suitcases lined up waiting for us!! Yes, that is right, we have 20 suitcases!!!
We bought a white fabric marker and numbered them!
Rebecca has 1, 2, 3 and her backpack
Ben has 4, 5, 6 and his backpack
Rachel has 7, 8, 9 and her backpack
Bethany has 10, 11, 12, and her violin
Mom has 13, 14, 15, hot pink laptop case, camera bag and backpack
Mason in theory has 16, & 17 and his backpack
Amy has her 3 purple suitcases and her backpack
Our total load is 20 suitcases, 7 backpacks, 2 violins, 1 camara bag and a very hot pink laptop case.
Singing this to the chorus of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" will help us keep track of everything.
Does that sound familiar to Alison, Melissa, Hyrum and Joseph? That was our travel strategy when we came home from China 10 years ago!
We can check on one of the carry one suitcases which gives Mason only #17. He is a trooper and is hauling it around as well
as wearing his own backpack. Since I am working the passports and have several smaller carryons, Benjamin is picking up my suitcase load and pulling an extra.
We get 2 check-ons per person so in the end, each person basically has one pulling suitcase and their backpack.
So, once we check in Tuesday morning at the Dallas ticket counter, our song can change to: 7 backpacks, 6 suitcases, 2 violins, 1 camera bag and a very hot pink laptop case.
In Dallas, we checked into our hotel, ate at Jack in the Box for Brian and then had "Frosties" at Wendy's!
When we arrived in Dallas, we made a wrong turn and ended up backtracking to find the right baggage claim. By the time we got there, everyone was gone, the machine was no longer moving and there were our 20 suitcases lined up waiting for us!! Yes, that is right, we have 20 suitcases!!!
We bought a white fabric marker and numbered them!
Rebecca has 1, 2, 3 and her backpack
Ben has 4, 5, 6 and his backpack
Rachel has 7, 8, 9 and her backpack
Bethany has 10, 11, 12, and her violin
Mom has 13, 14, 15, hot pink laptop case, camera bag and backpack
Mason in theory has 16, & 17 and his backpack
Amy has her 3 purple suitcases and her backpack
Our total load is 20 suitcases, 7 backpacks, 2 violins, 1 camara bag and a very hot pink laptop case.
Singing this to the chorus of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" will help us keep track of everything.
Does that sound familiar to Alison, Melissa, Hyrum and Joseph? That was our travel strategy when we came home from China 10 years ago!
We can check on one of the carry one suitcases which gives Mason only #17. He is a trooper and is hauling it around as well
as wearing his own backpack. Since I am working the passports and have several smaller carryons, Benjamin is picking up my suitcase load and pulling an extra.
We get 2 check-ons per person so in the end, each person basically has one pulling suitcase and their backpack.
So, once we check in Tuesday morning at the Dallas ticket counter, our song can change to: 7 backpacks, 6 suitcases, 2 violins, 1 camera bag and a very hot pink laptop case.
In Dallas, we checked into our hotel, ate at Jack in the Box for Brian and then had "Frosties" at Wendy's!
When we got back to our room, I started to repack suitcases #15 and #17.
As I lifted suitcase #15 onto the table, I thought, "Hmm this smells good -- oh my -- what spilled!"
What I was smelling was a mixture of Italian seasoning and vanilla!
Blessing -- the vanilla was in a ziploc and just leaked a bit and just a slight amount came out onto 1 pair Mason's shorts.
The Italian Seasoning was much more distributed through out the suitcase so I had to shake out everything and shake out the suitcase in the bathtub. Now the suitcase is clean but still smells really good!
Very minimal damage. Suitcases are repacked and we are ready to roll in the morning on the 3:30 am shuttle back to the airport!
Once we get those 20 suitcases checked in, it is easy from there!
We will have someone picking us up in China, so we will be good!
I do know that a couple of my girls have said, "Now I know why you said to pack light!"
Well, it has been a good day! We are going to sleep now at 7:30pm! 3am will come very quickly!
Love,
Mom
As I lifted suitcase #15 onto the table, I thought, "Hmm this smells good -- oh my -- what spilled!"
What I was smelling was a mixture of Italian seasoning and vanilla!
Blessing -- the vanilla was in a ziploc and just leaked a bit and just a slight amount came out onto 1 pair Mason's shorts.
The Italian Seasoning was much more distributed through out the suitcase so I had to shake out everything and shake out the suitcase in the bathtub. Now the suitcase is clean but still smells really good!
Very minimal damage. Suitcases are repacked and we are ready to roll in the morning on the 3:30 am shuttle back to the airport!
Once we get those 20 suitcases checked in, it is easy from there!
We will have someone picking us up in China, so we will be good!
I do know that a couple of my girls have said, "Now I know why you said to pack light!"
Well, it has been a good day! We are going to sleep now at 7:30pm! 3am will come very quickly!
Love,
Mom
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