The Flight

**I typed this on the plane so I wouldn't forget the crazy details of the day.

We woke up at 3:45 because somebody always insists on being beyond. We arrived at the airport at 5:00am for our 7:21 flight. First we were given the run around on what line to get in. Next we were told we had to take our money belts off at security. I actually felt better about this plan anyway. Grabbed breakfast and went to the gate. We were only 20 minutes before boarding, when the dreaded “FLIGHT DELAYED” sign came up. Evidently, San Francisco had too much air traffic, there was fog, and they were down to one runway. So the announcement “Flight XYZ will now leave at 8:00am and arrive at 10:47 in SFO.

WHAT!!!!! Our connecting flight to Beijing was at 11:05! And how did a 2hr 15 min flight turn into 2hrs 45 min? This was supposed to be the EASY flight! So after stressing for a few minutes, I went to counter. Yes, the Beijing flight was still on time. I was fit to be tied. This was the flight I was NOT nervous about. If we missed the connection, we’d miss so much and be so tired the next day for our trip. And the last thing I wanted to do was navigate an airport in Tokyo. Oh, this was not happening!

So this is how I started the day with 6 boarding passes and ended with 12. We had our original seats to SFO. The attendant was able to get us in the front of the plane so that we could get off quickly and get to the Beijing flight. If we did miss the connecting flight, plan B was a flight leaving SFO at 1:00, routing through Tokyo, and on to Beijing, landing 6 hours later than planned. I think the Lord saw that I was at my limit. I looked at Dan and attendant in desperation. I asked why there was the extra half hour on the flight to SFO, and she said we might have to sit on the tarmac for awhile because of the air traffic on the ground. Sweet. By this time, I’m a nervous wreck. So I get 6 new boarding passes. 3 for the new seats, 3 for the backup plan. I had boarding passes in the most bizarre places of my back pack, and I could barely find the ones I actually needed!

So Dan walked up to the boarding line before it was our turn, and of course I found someone to talk to. The next thing I knew, Dan and one of the attendants were talking with two Chinese women. One was Ling Ling, and she spoke very little English and was traveling back to China on the same flight as us. Her friend or translator (not sure) was explaining that she needed help once arriving at SFO, so they had asked if she could walk with us at SFO. Of course, we were happy to. I was so proud, I said, “Ni Hao Ling Ling!” And she said, “Ni Hao” back! And that was the extent of my Chinese, and I wished immediately I had learned more Mandarin phrases. Furthermore, I left my book of phrases in my suitcase, thinking I wouldn’t need it! Dan and Kacie boarded the plane, and then Ling Ling and I boarded. We were in row 6, she was in 14. She seemed confused so I showed her the ticket seat # and then the numbers on the rows. Then she understood.

And Praise the Lord, Thank You Jesus! We made it to SFO at 10:00, and we got to our gate 7 minutes before boarding. The flight was uneventful. Kacie and I were separate from Dan due to the seat move, and she sat next to a man from Seattle on his way to Columbia. He was very nice to her and talked to her as she asked him questions. I was relieved because I know Kacie can be pretty wiggly and talkative, but she showed him all her activity books and her first journal entry (oh connect group, you’ll love it! Her first entry is a picture of me at the airport and it says something to the extent of “Mom stop stressin’!).

So upon landing, Kacie and I got off the plane to find directions to our connecting flight, and Dan waiting for Ling Ling. Kacie kept saying, “Mama, where’s Ling Ling?” She wanted to make sure we had her! We made it no problem, but I didn’t have time to find Starbucks. So as we boarded, we said good-bye to Ling Ling. She was so sweet as she shook all of our hands. It didn’t matter that we didn’t speak the language. On the plane Kacie enjoyed walking to the back of the plane to wave at her.

So now we are just over half way to Beijing. Our flight is VERY empty. I’d say half full on a Boeing 777. I had to do a ton of paperwork (well, it felt like it) for the three of us, and I was so thankful to have people next to me who could read Chinese because I needed information from it (where the visa was issued) and it was written in Chinese. So I asked them, and they quickly answered, “Chicago.” I knew that, I really did…but I was so stressed I couldn’t come up with it. Kacie had her princess moment about 3-4 hours into the flight. She was hungry, thirsty, uncomfortable, and wanted to turn the plane around. It was a defining moment because we told her we were over the ocean and there was nothing we could do at this point. She fell asleep, and after that, no complaining at all.