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
