Traveling Mercies

I’m here, I’m here! Be still my heart!

I could not have asked for a smoother trip with so many traveling mercies.  Because the flight was significantly cheaper, I drove to Dulles to catch my flight.  While the drive was rainy, I-95 was unusually sparse and I had time to make a quick stop at Ikea on the way J  Once I was loading the van, a super nice man came and helped me with two bigger boxes I had.  So awesome.

Then I was off to Dulles.  Because I had 3 bags that each weighed 70lbs but had planned on parking further away due to cost, I figured I’d go drop off the bags in short term parking and then get settled in with just me and my carry-ons.  I knew my bags were going to cost a lot but with the help of some awesome donors, I had offset that cost a bit.  I had called Delta the night before I left to ask them exactly what I was going to pay and they said since it was technically a KLM flight and I was technically checking in at the KLM counter, it was going to be based on their rates…so a sum total of $500.  YIKES!!  I didn’t freak out.  I stayed calm.  I figured we could get some more donations when I got back or something and it would all work out fine.  So I get to the short term parking lot, there was a cart right next to my car (woo hoo) and I lug the massive 210lbs to the terminal.  I’m not sure if it’s because I opened with “I’m Sky Priority, I’m in Economy, I have 3 bags, and every one of them is overweight” followed by handing him my credit card, or because I may have mentioned that one entire bag was all baby formula…regardless, instead of the $100 for each bag and the $300 for the extra and overweight third he only charged me $75 each for a total of $225 (which was already fully covered by donations)!!  I was stunned but acted cool (probably not really) and went to get to the cheap parking lot!

I get back to the airport and into the security line.  Unfortunately, my normal TSA Pre-Check was a no-go because I was traveling on a foreign carrier (I get way too spoiled with travel perks) so I head in line with the rest of the herd.  My liquids are out as they’re supposed to be but as soon as they go through the woman scanning said “all your individual amounts are fine but you have WAY too much in this one bag” and hands the bag to this other guy.  He takes me aside, asks me to knock it down by half and we’ll throw the stuff away, and I just go along knowing I couldn’t win even though this is literally all my toiletries for the whole trip because my bags are full of other stuff.  A nice older gentleman (that works there) walks over and says, “If there are any things in there for medicinal purposes, those don’t count.  May want to see what the bag looks like without them.”  So I start with things like eye drops and inhaler and he pulls out other stuff like Neosporin and Melaluca oil…then he starts grabbing the stuff I pulled out and starting putting it back in.  Needless to say, by the end of this fiasco, he has returned everything to the bag, hands it to me and says “that’s good.”  Say what???

Head to the lounge to relax and eat free food before we board.  A little concerned because no one has seen my carry-on bags yet and the rule for KLM is that they weight no more than 26lbs.  Welp, when you take a ton of stuff you want to fit in as much as possible.  This means packing everything for me in my carry-on only.  Plus more stuff for others.  So my rolly bag weighed more like 40lbs.  And my backpack at least 20.  Meh.  I held my breath as I boarded the plane and no one said a thing!  I was stunned and thankful.

Fast forward 7 hours and I land in Amsterdam.  It was really nice to walk and eat and rest.  I love Schipol airport and am grateful it’s Delta’s partner because it means I end up there about 4 times a year!  Oh those poffertjes…had a nice nap in the lounge and it was time to go again!  I get to the gate and got the pleasure of meeting a facebook friend in person for the first time!!  This is an awesome lady who runs a non-profit helping mothers in Uganda called Beauty for Ashes.  We hugged and chatted and I met her traveling crew and then it was time to board!  I find my seat, get everything settled and it’s time for takeoff…and no one is sitting next to me.  HOORAH!!  I had an 8 hour flight with no seat partner and man it went by so smoothly. 

As we arrived, we walked off the plane and saw everyone waiting to get on.  It started to hit me…this is where I left this all just 15 months ago.  There, in the window, stood a little boy, about the same age and size as Jonah when we were getting ready to depart.  I was so overcome by emotion.  So many things have transpired since we left here.  Yet I could see my little boy there so clearly, waiting to leave this beautiful country and trust us in this new place.  Whew!

All my bags arrived, Brandi’s crew helped me get my 3 big bags, my large carry-on and my back pack outside where the amazing Brian, my dear Ugandan friend and driver was there to meet me…and he brought friends too!  It was so great to see them. 

We set off on the few hour car ride from Entebbe to Jinja and I am impressed with how much they’ve improved Jinja road.  I was overjoyed as we crossed the Nile River and entered Jinja.  It was like coming home.  I remember all the sites and sounds (and horrible roads) so vividly and my heart was so full of joy. 

And, in true Ugandan style, as soon as we pulled up to the Sole Hope guest house, the power went out.

So thankful.