Tag Archives: vacay!

Tokyo Part Two: Turbulence, Tuberculosis and Time-travel

28 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by in Adventures Abroad, Un-fun Up in the Air

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Trip type: Personal

Airline: Delta

Route: NRT-MSP

Home again, home again, jiggity jig…

Offering at one of the many shrines we visited

Offering at one of the many shrines we visited

Although the flight back was not quite as long as the flight taking us to Japan, it still felt like a small lifetime. And it wasn’t without some anxiety (naturally).

Turbulence

I used to be a lot more scared of turbulence before I started flying a lot. En route from Geneva to Cannes I was pretty sure I was going to have to actually use the emergency door at my right. Spring break 2005 on the way to Miami I was convinced I’d be in some ‘Spring Break Tragedy’ news special. At any rate, I’m much calmer now.

An amazing, larger-than-life Buddha statue

An amazing, larger-than-life Buddha statue

Usually. The flight home from Tokyo was crazy turbulent. E didn’t think it was so bad but whenever they make the flight attendants sit down and forbid you from getting up for 90 minutes as you’re rolling around somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, I don’t care what anyone says: it is so bad. All I kept thinking was that it was all my fault for scoffing during the flight safety video where the redheaded Delta spokeswoman tells you where the emergency rafts are in case of an unlikely water landing. Sigh. As you can tell, however, we did end up surviving. And I was finally allowed to use the bathroom.

Tuberculosis

As evidenced by this blog, I love to travel. I really do. That said, I loathe trying to sleep on international flights. There’s nothing like that anxiety of knowing you’re going to arrive, either at your destination or back home, and be a hot mess of a jet lagged zombie. I get myself all worked up about trying to sleep–or at least rest–and am usually unable to get more than a solid hour of sleep. Considering I catnap through every take-off, it’s astounding to me that I can’t will myself to sleep.

On our flight home, I was very tired. So tired that I thought I might actually con myself into some sleep. Alas, this was thwarted by the gentleman behind me who I swear had tuberculosis. He was hacking and wheezing like nobody’s business and was doing it at just the right interval where you would have lulled yourself into thinking he was going to finally shut up only for him to start the nasal chainsaw all over again.

Needless to say, there was no rest for the weary.

Tokyo Tower - strongly resembles my favorite tourist attraction!

Tokyo Tower – strongly resembles my favorite tourist attraction!

Time-travel

My favorite part about international travel is that I feel like I’ve found a rip in the space/time continuum. It makes me absolutely giddy to think that we left at 3pm Tokyo time and landed in Minneapolis at 11am on the SAME DAY. It seriously never gets old. Science!

Sorry for the delay on this post; I know you’ve been dying for the wrap-up of this trip. I’m actually typing this last bit from the Delta lounge in Concourse C of the MSP airport (which seems oddly appropriate)…figured I had to finish this before we take off again–in 75 minutes!

Hope you’ve all had wonderful holidays–more travel nightmares to come in 2013! (And maybe even 2012 depending on how this morning goes.)

Montreal Take Two: Finalement!

23 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by in It's not always so bad

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Trip type: Personal

Airline: Delta

Route: MSP-YUL

After all the excitement of attempt #1, we were a little anxious about getting ourselves back to the airport the next day. We left very early and the driving went smoothly (we even got a front row spot in the Gold ramp) and E was able to slowly make it through security without turning his neck aggressively.

Soon enough, we found ourselves in the Delta lounge, and in the proximity of a threesome of travel-uppers.  You know, those annoying people that have to one-up everyone around them with their exotic destinations/travel disasters/near-death experiences. It is excruciating–especially when you’re their audience.

“I am SO jet-lagged from that leg we just did from Hong Kong!”

“I know–it’s almost as bad as that flight when we went to Machu Picchu.”

“Where are we going after this trip? I wouldn’t mind going back to South Africa.”

“I’ve been there twice now…what about southern Vietnam? I hear the beaches are terrific.”

Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal in Old Montreal

And this went on and on. And on. I could almost feel how badly they wanted my attention. It was like watching a really horrible community theater production where the actors are begging you to like them.

I have to say though, having the travel-upper troupe as our biggest aggravation was a welcome respite after the previous day’s shenanigans. And, finalement (as I would say if I were a real Québécoise) we were in Montreal!

It was my first visit to Montreal and the city was everything I hoped it would be–great food, lovely people, a familiar dialect (eh). Plus, we had a lovely time seeing E’s family and celebrating a great wedding (gotta appreciate a family with a love of hitting the dance floor).

Updates from previous post:

  1. E is feeling much better, thank you for asking (seriously–I was overwhelmed by the nice comments and offers of help). He will likely need some treatment still, but we are hopeful for a full recovery.

  2. There was a lot of whining, but she’s embracing the harness.

    Realizing what a disaster the accident could have been if Bella was with us, we purchased a car harness for her while waiting in the Abbott emergency room (no joke–from E’s phone). She doesn’t really love it but is a good sport.

  3. The car was deemed a total loss. Honestly, I think this is for the best. It’s sad that we just bought it in June and now it’s gone, but I’d rather drive something that didn’t need 25+ new parts. And, you know, started. Next car purchase under negotiation.

LaLa Land

16 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by in With love from the Tarmac

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Trip type: Personal

Airline: Delta

Route: MSP-LAX

Have you missed me? I’ve missed you, too. My apologies for the hiatus; after a big job change, there are no more monthly trips to Atlanta. I will miss the blog fodder but not much beyond that.

Griffith Park Observatory

Griffith Park

At any rate, don’t be too worried about the blog! There are a few more trips coming up this year that should provide good stories, starting with this past week’s trip to visit  our dear friends M and E in L.A.

After not traveling since May (I still can’t believe I went the entire month of June without going to the airport), I was nearly giddy to be back at the airport. (I know; I’m seeking therapy.) It didn’t last long.

As expected, the plane for L.A. was huge which meant the perfect storm of half boarding vultures and half people who were in lala land (either because they weren’t native English speakers or because they were en route to an island destination but hadn’t flown in a decade). Seriously, just people wandering aimlessly around the gate, asking each other what zone was being boarded and if this was in fact the plane to L.A.

The Getty, Los Angeles

The view from the Getty

Once aboard, I still retained some of the initial giddiness of the day and excitedly took stock of our compatriots. My analysis started and stopped with the gentleman across the aisle from E who was blowing his shirt in his t-shirt collar. No, not wiping his nose to alleviate an itch, legitimately blowing his nose. Attractive. (He would later play a game on his iPhone for about 40 minutes with the phone on full volume and no headphones in sight.)

Arriving on time, we were excited to get our trip going. Unfortunately, this was thwarted by the inefficiency that is LAX. (I will save the detailed rundown of how much I hate this airport for when I write a future post on airports I’ve known and loathed, but suffice it to say LAX is right up there among the worst.)

We taxied for what seemed like an hour but stopped short of the terminal. Several minutes later, the pilot came on to tell us that our gate wasn’t ready and that we’d have to wait a bit longer. Ten minutes went by and the pilot came back on to tell us that the plane occupying our gate hadn’t pushed off yet but was supposed to do so soon. After another ten minutes, the pilot finally gave us the good news that our gate was open and we’d be pulling up shortly. Excellent. We creeped over to the Delta terminal–we were so close I could see the open gate–but were stopped again by all the ground traffic. The pilot came on to apologize for the congestion and asked us to stay put while we waited for the other taxing planes and various baggage carts to go by. Sigh. Maybe the ground crew was in lala land, too, because it certainly didn’t appear as though anything was happening in a hurry. Luckily, it was only five more minutes until we were finally at the gate and awaiting the jet bridge.

Griffith Park, Los Angeles

Probably professional models.

Inside the airport it was smooth sailing to the sea of chaos that is baggage claim and ground transport and an amazing weekend in LaLa Land commenced.

Also, M and I are apparently LuLuLemon models (see right; photo credit to E).

Stress-Free Spring Break Travel: A How-To

18 Saturday Feb 2012

Posted by in It's not always so bad

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Trip type: Personal

Airline: Delta

Route: MSP-MIA / MIA-MSP

Beach Bliss - Key West

Spring break as an adult is a glorious thing. You don’t have to take a midterm before you leave, there’s considerably more cash on hand, and you don’t have to reassure your mother you won’t do anything untoward.

Despite all these items in the “pro” column, there’s still the adventure of flying amidst the spring break masses. Even if you’ve never taken a spring break excursion (I’m sorry), if you’ve had to fly between mid-February and mid-April, you’ve probably encountered some of the fun that comes at this time of year.

Which brings us to the how-to of this post. I’m delighted to report that E and I have just returned from a fabulous mid-winter getaway to the Florida Keys that came with no travel hindrance whatsoever. Admittedly, we were not traveling at the peak of spring break insanity, but nonetheless, I have packaged up some Key (!) learnings for you to apply to your own travel planning:

  1. Fly at a time unholy to those with tuition payments. We left for Miami before 7am on a Saturday and were the youngest people on our flight by at least 25 years which means compatriots who follow directions and step aside for fast walkers. Plus, we reached Miami before noon.
  2. Get an upgrade (at least on the way to your destination). Nothing says “Aloha, vacation!” like an 8am screwdriver.
  3. Head home early. I know, I know, this flies in the face of the typical vacation mindset about getting the most out of your time away, but hear me out on this. We flew home on a Friday night and thus were surrounded by tired business travelers instead of the hungover college kids with “I Survived Spring Break 2k12!!!!!” t-shirts that look and smell like hell you might find on a Sunday afternoon flight. (Although, to be fair, they’re sometimes as quiet as the tired business travelers because they’re hardly conscious). Plus, because you followed Tips #1 and 2, you already got to really enjoy that first day of vacation, so getting home early isn’t as big of a let-down.

  4. I know, I can hardly believe she's this cute, either.

    Get a dog. I used to hate coming home from vacation a lot more before I had a dog. Now, I don’t mind as much because as soon as I step into the airport for the return flight, I think about how excited I am to see her. (What’s that? You’d like to see a picture? No, it’s no trouble at all, here’s one>>)

Fool-proof? Probably not. But it worked this one instance and it’s been captured on a blog so it’s now gospel.

Happy spring break-ing!