Momma We Made It!

On September 10th, Madisyn and I began our journal to Abu Dhabi to join the hubby. Initially my anxieties about making the trip were traveling alone with a 7-month-old baby diva and packing our lives into 4 duffle bags. However, all in all everything worked our perfectly and was well worth the hassle because, now it feels like Madisyn and I are living on a luxurious resort overlooking a beautiful skyline every single day. 

I am going to walk you through my process of this magical journey with Miss Madisyn Renee. My mom, aunt and a family friend drove us to New Orleans to see us off early that morning. I knew my emotions would eventually get the best of me, I just didn’t know when. It wasn’t until I approached the ticket counter for our boarding passes that I looked at my mom and just started to cry. At that moment all the preparations became a reality. 

The check-in process was smooth, however they asked me a bunch of questions in regards to obtaining a VISA. Even after I told them my husband is working there and his company is sponsoring us, they still continued to interrogate me.  But after that  process we were all set to go.   

I was excited to learn I would have get my stroller back in NYC (after being told I would get in Abu Dhabi) and thank God, because I needed it. The flight from New Orleans to New York City was great, no complaints. Upon arriving in NYC, I received my stroller and Madisyn and I were off to catch our next flight. My husband warned me that it would be a slight hassle getting to the international side of the airport. I should listen to him more often, because it felt like we walked a solid 2 miles to the international security checkpoint. Once there we only had 30min before the flight began to board. The line was long, Madisyn was going into Maddy Meltdown Mode, and I was starving. The line was moving pretty steadily until it was our turn. TSA informed me my stroller had to be inspected by someone else and I had to wait. I waited….waited….and waited until it was 30min before the flight departed. I became impatient and vented my frustration only to be told they were short staffed and to pretty much just wait. Ten minutes later someone finally checked the stroller and I still had a ways to go to my gate. I really began to panic when I heard last call for Abu Dhabi. I was determined to make this flight! Finally…we get to the gate only to be informed we needed another boarding pass and to see the ticket agent. Could anything else slow us down?  As were one of the last ones to be seated on the flight, Madisyn decides she had to use the #2. That meant getting up and passing over someone to take her into the restroom. At this point I used the honor system and left my bags, because the space was extremely tight and I was already hot and bothered. When we settled in I realized my cellular phone did not have a signal, so I couldn’t inform my husband or mother we made the flight. 

Off we go on a 13-hour adventure. I figured Madisyn would sleep a good 7-8 hours on the flight. Man was I wrong. She only slept 2 hours the entire trip. She was up playing, talking and knocking everything over. Initially when a young lady next to me with a son one day older than Madisyn offered to hold her, I was apprehensive. But after 5 hours of non-stop bouncing around in a tight space I took the offer. Her mother traveled with her so she was able to get a break from her son and understood the struggle of traveling with an active infant. This break allowed me to get my laptop and Facebook Marshall and my family to inform them we were okay. 

All in all the flight was wonderful, the food was fulfilling and no turbulence. The flight attendants were superb. One attendant even sat with me to hold Madisyn for about 20 minutes to give me a break.  

After we landed, all I could say was Thank You God!!! We Made It! Upon arrival my husband purchased me a VIP concierge service to transport us through the Passport check-in and to baggage claim. It was easy to get transported around but the individual assigned to me was little lazy. She would not help with my bags, told me I didn’t have time to use the restroom after a 13-hour flight, and stopped to chat with everyone she knew. At baggage claim the first 3 bags and Madisyn’s stroller came pretty fast, but it was too good to be true. We waited for 45min and still no bag. So off to the lost baggage station we go to file a claim. The process was easy and they were very efficient. My bag arrived the next day. 

After it was all said and done walking to the transportation area and seeing my husband made it all worth it. Needless to say Madisyn was knocked out in the cab ride home.

Traveling from the known to the unknown can be frightening, but knowing God promises that he will never leave nor forsake us will always be my guide for anything I approach in  life.

“God is faithful [He is reliable, trustworthy and ever true to His promise—He can be depended on], and through Him you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” 1 Cor. 1:9 AMP