Tag / 10th Anniversary Trip

by Greg

Like Magic

We’re making our final approach (at least, pretty soon… I can feel us going lower) and even from the middle seat, the view is breathtaking. The mountains are amazing. Even the deserts are pretty amazing.

What I am most amazed by though is, having done this trip several times before on the ground, the fact that we can leave Buffalo at 8:30am and arrive in California around 3:00pm (EDT). The trip from Seattle to Rochester always takes us 5 days. Today, we did basically the same trip in just over 6 hours.

Incredible. Like magic.

by Greg

Southwest Alphabet

Well, we made the next leg of the trip, but it feels like barely! We got to Chicago just after 9:15 maybe, local time, and had to get the flight to San Jose, CA at 9:55 local time. Seems like plenty of time right? Jen took a needed pregnancy bathroomo trip, and we headed through the airport to Gate B1 (all the way to the other end of the concourse!) only to find tthat the lines were already completely full!

This is my first time flying Southwest, and overall I would just give it an “average” rating.

Here’s why the lines matter. When you buy a ticket, you are not buying a seat. You get put into one of three groups. A, B, and C. Theoretically, the first people to arrive, get boarding passes in group A, then B, then C. That is also how they board the plane. Since it’s every man (or woman) for himself, you take what you get as far as seating.

We lucked out on the first flight, finding the last pair of seats together. Not so on this flight. Only middle seats left. Not to worry, I told Jen. I trusted in the goodness of humanity. Someone will move to the middle so that the pregnant lady can sit with her husband….

Not so. 🙂

So, Jen is in the row behind me. I am squeezed between two guys… and it’s a four hour flight.

I don’t think we’re going to fly Southwest again. I want to buy seats, not try to “get lucky”.

So, we’ll see what the flight holds. I’m sad for Jen. She’ll have to try to get out to go to the bathroom a time or two! 🙂 We’ll see if we can work the system on the way back so we don’t have to do this on the return flight!

More to come….

by Greg

The Window Seat

I forgot how amazing it is to fly. I think I probably felt that way as a kid when we would fly back and forth from Venezuela, and various trans-Atlantic flights. But I just forgot.

I am so glad I had a window seat!

The view is just amazing. To watch the things on the ground get smaller, and smaller. To eventually go above the clouds. And today, we went above two layers of clouds! First to 10,000 feet, and then to 38,000. Awe inspiring beauty. Big puffy clouds as far as you can see. Jen described it as an “ocean of clouds.”

The shadows of the higher altitude clouds on the lower ones are fun. The light blue sky fading into a darker blue as you look up. The small hole in the clouds allowing me to see the reflection of the sun off of the lake below. Amazing.

I’m really, really glad I got a window seat!

by Greg

The Less-Safe Plane

We got to the airport around 6:30am, checked our baggage and got our boarding passes. Everything went pretty smoothly there, until we got to the line for boarding passengers. It was so long! After just a few moments, we were approached by a guy from TSA who handed us a yellow card. He asked us to give it to the security person when we got to the front of the line. (They were using it to time themselves.)

Not even a minute after we were handed that card, another airport security person approached us and said, “There’s an alternat check point, why don’t you go there.” So, we did. But I remembered that card we had just gotten so I asked, “Do you want me to give this to someone else in the line?” To which he replied, “No… you can bring it with you.”

At this point, it smelled a little fishy. 🙂 We ended up in a shorter line, which was just fine with me. And they ended up with a shorter time. Good for them.

Everything was going just fine until the weather changed in Florida.

See, the Southwest plane next to us was heading to Orlando, leaving at 7:30. BUT, just as we were about to board (at 7:30) they decided to switch planes. They announced later that the plane we were supposed to take was better equipped to handle bad weather. (That got a laugh from all of us who were switching to the “less safe” plane!) 🙂

They swapped all the already loaded passengers from the original Orlando plane, as well as their luggage, and our luggage, and both flight crews… and the Orlando plane is finally leaving now at 8:25am. Too bad for them. 🙂

So, we’re about 30 minutes late so far, but all is probably just fine. Our next flight leaves at 9:55 central time. (Or, 2.5 hours from now.)

One other interesting thing about Southwest is that there is no assigned seating. You don’t purchase a seat, just a ticket. So, you may or may not get to sit with whomever you are flying with. The way to assure that is to just get in line even before they start boarding, which we did. The problem was, we were at the front of the line for the first plane! So, when we switched, we were at the back!!

The first shall be last.

Thankfully, Jen & I did get to sit together. Found two seats at the back of the plane. That’s nice.

Here we go!

More to come…

by Greg

And So It Begins

The alarm sounded at 5:30 this morning. But I think that was about the 20th time I had awaken since going to bed at 11:30 the night before. I think my mind had been active all night. I feel… tired.

But ready to go.

Our plane leaves at 8, so we’re heading out in a few minutes. There is an overall feeling of excitement. I really can’t even believe we get to do this!

However, I must admit, last night it felt wrong. As I was saying goodnight—and goodbye—to my kids, my heart was heavy. I’m not supposed to say goodbye to them for eight days??? It will be fine, but I told Jen last night, “I don’t want to do this ever again.” (And we haven’t even left yet!!)

It’ll be alright. I can’t wait to have my wife to myself for 8 days.

More along the way…