Okay the time has come for us to depart.

(I’m currently in a hotel in Bahrain so I’m recapping what happened)

I have made it a point to make my goodbyes simple. No tears. No issue. I don’t have it me to board a plane all teary eyed plus my daughter is looking to me and is taking her cues from me. 

Anyways my mom took us the airport in Charleston for the first flight to which took us to JFK. Easy enough. We charge up and wait.

 Wheels up number 1. 

Let me take a moment to discuss the snack. Who ever knew about these and did not tell me, we are no longer friends

Land in JFK at terminal 5 had to get to terminal 8. Totally forgot the instructions rhe lady gave me in Charleston. I knew I had some walking to do. So I stop and ask. I follow the yellow signs as directed. Go through security and BAM back where I started. I ask for help again and they are mad like I am because they said I should have gone never through security for a flight that is not in that terminal  (guess what I’m still in terminal 5) Flight boards at 9 when I got off my plane I had two hours. Okay now I’m down to 45 minutes. Now we gotta book it. Walk back and pay closer attention for signs to the air train. Finally get to the air train. I’m hungry and irritated. Get to the other side of life. Go through security AGAIN! Now I gotta find my gate. Gate is not listed on our boarding pass. Ask for help. Find the departure directory. Gate 16. Thank God it’s right there. I just sit on the floor. A gentleman was nice enough to let Elise sit in the chair. I’m hot. I’m sweaty and yep still hungry. Might have been sitting 10 minutes and I’m called to the counter. They check us in. Families get to board first. We get settled in on our flight. It will be roughly 12 hours. I’m hungry and tired where is dinner. I select a movie to watch and so does Elise. It took forever before we took off. Wheels up number 2. 

It was cold as all get out on that flight. Dinner was good or I was starving either way I ate it. I went to sleep had to make my daughter go to sleep around 3am (eastern time) wherever we the sun had come up and she didn’t want to sleep. She was on movie number 3. We have five hours before we land and I did not need a sleep deprived 8 year walking through another airport. Turn that TV off and go to sleep. I went back to sleep. (Note to self: first class is our future. Sleeping on a plane is the pits. Plus the people in front of us moved their vents and it was blowing directly on me. I got the scratchy throat today to prove it)

We in Doha, Qatar around 530pm local time. It’s a 7 hour time difference. Get off the plane walk through another airport. I’m done. This airport was fancy. I let her look at some Legos and dinosaur that was roaring and whatnot. (It’s mechanical) We walk again to the other side of life. I’m tired. I buy us some water. She hungry. I’m like you gonna have to eat some of these snack and wait on the meal at the hotel. 

(Lesson 1: lines do NOT exist. Almost lost my cool when this guy tired to purchase his water before me. Um excuse me sir I was here first. I’m tired and hungry and my 8 year old is watching our bags. I ended up paying for water before him. Sat down. 30 minutes later we begin boarding.)

Felt the heat for the first time. It was night time thank God. It still was unexpected. It was rude and it was disrespectful. Glasses fogging up. We board a bus to take us out to the plane. 

We board our flight. Wheels up number 3. Thirty minutes later we are now in Bahrain, Qatar. 

We pay for our visas.

Let me pause to discuss this one. First I had no idea what to do. Two I am tired. I am hungry. I haven’t washed since Monday at 1230pm eastern standard time. I have an ADHD 8 year old on the side of me who has not had her medicine since Monday  1230pm eastern time. Get to the counter he tells me my total. Do you take a card. No cash only. Tells me a number. I get out of line go to the ATM. Pull out my phone to convert currency. Get out local currency. Get back in line. He says it’s not enough. I’m like dude. I breath. How much do I need. Another guy is typing up on the computer. The other dude takes my card. I’m thinking we could have saved 15 minutes if the first dude would have done that. I get our passports back and walk downstairs to get our luggage. We get our luggage. I see my name for our ride. We walk outside in the heat to the van. Load up. Tip the guy. 

(Lesson 2: it’s best not to look when they drive.)

We arrive at the hotel check in. Eat and shower. I’m looking for her book bag. No book bag. I ask her where is her book bag. She said the guy took it off the baggage cart and didn’t put it back. UGH her iPad is in there. I’m tired. I’ll deal with in the morning. We go to sleep. We will meet in the morning for breakfast at 8am before going to get our medical exam. 

Her dinner about half way through. She tired to eat it all but it didn’t happen. 

What was left of my dinner. It was delicious. 

Now let me take a moment here and show you this.

soIt took me five minutes and the lights going out twice for me to figure out that I have to keep the room key in this slot for us to have lights. Took it out when we went to sleep….guess what I couldn’t charge. So forgive me if did not converse energy last night.