18 Days Till I take Flight

Flying Giraffe's! Oh my!!

In just 18 days  I will be taking flight but I don't expect to see any flying giraffe's. The only thing

I expect to see is lots of family, and not through a window either! After all this is a family reunion 20 years overdue.

My eyes cannot wait to see my Grams, Uncle, Aunt and cousins.

My arms cannot wait to fling themselves around them in a tight hug.

My brain cannot wait to soak up all the info I can to know them.

The last time I flew I was very young.

I have snitbits of memories of an airport and of sitting in a plane.

A plane I never thought even took off the ground.

In preparing for this journey I've had to learn a lot.

I had to read all the rules and regulations for flying.

I didn't realize there were so many rules of what you can't take.

Your only allowed so many ounces of "chemicals".

Shampoo's, conditioners, mouth wash and more.

No weapons, blades or razors.

This includes razors you'd use to shave your legs.

Wow!

Just wow!

Has this really happened here in the USA?

Yes it has and for good reason.

I am thankful that I had the brains to look this up.

What else did I have to look up?

Well luggage was an important one.

If you haven't flown much or at all you'll realize late in the game that you have to pay extra for luggage.

There is also a size limit on said luggage.

Your allotted a suitcase measuring 16"w x 24"t x 10"d.

It seems small when looking at the dimensions but I realized quickly while searching for a suitcase that its not too bad. I can fit everything I need and more in the suitcase I ended up with, and its smaller than these dimensions giving me a wiggle room of almost 3 inches on each side. That way I know when I get there that it will fit no matter what.

 

I'm not one who is willing to pay out a lot of money for well anything. I first tried to borrow so I didn't have to spend any money at all but no one had anything with the measurements I needed. I looked at Target and was a bit shocked at how expensive luggage was. I mean really, 199.99 for a suitcase?! Granted it was one I could fit into (I'm only 4'10" i could fit almost anywhere) but still. They did have a 3 piece luggage for $39.99. That seemed reasonable but it was still more than what I was looking for. I ventured on to the kids luggage, I mean seriously does it really matter what it looks like? They had one (well 1 boy and 1 girl) that was the right size for $23.99 but that was still more than I wanted to spend before looking around.

I left Target and went on to DD's. My niece was in search of shoes so I figured since we were going there anyway I should look to see what they had for luggage. I was pleasantly surprised by the array of suitcases they had in stock. I choose one of the smallest ones they had in hopes that it would fit within the guidelines for a carry on. I got lucky and as I said I had about 3" on each side so I knew it had to fit. So now I  know you're wondering how much I paid for this pretty purple suitcase on wheels with a extending handle. I paid a whopping $15.99 plus tax! You can't beat that for something new.It's sturdy and feels strong. Nothing about it screams "cheaply made" which was another concern. I didn't want to pay for crap.

Another obstacle I have to face now is fitting enough clothes for 4 days in this thing. Luckily I had my brain working while I was out searching for luggage and thought to get those bags you compress the air out of so spare room. I figured if I pack lightly and used these that I would have plenty of room to bring the kids back a few surprises if I found anything while there. 

Your also allowed a personal carry on. This can be a purse, breifcase, computer bag, whatever as long as it fits within strict dimensions. 18"w x 14"h x 8"d

I figure I can take the biggest purse I have if I don't have enough room in my suitcase for my camera and what not. 8" depth is not very big but again I was surprised when one of my biggest purses fit those dimensions. I can fit a lot in that purse!

So now that my luggage problem has been solved I have so much to do to get ready. Only 18 days. These next 18 days are filled to the rim with things that need to be done. School shopping is thankfully done. I've got doctors appointments for Liam for shots and tb test. His button looks infected so that will have to be looked at. We have school meeting to attend and things to get in order before I can leave. Thankfully Lanie and Liam's first days of school are different so I can be there for both.