Day 1

Well, there probably won't be any pictures today. Unless I find wireless internet access in an airport along the way! The long journey began today in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Yes, that's right.... we flew out of the big Arnold Palmer Regional Airport. Free parking and commuter service to Detroit, MI. After just about an hour layover in Detroit it's on to Tokyo, Japan. I know we'll all be in shock when we step off that plane! From there we have about a two hour layover and then it's on to Bangkok. Bangkok is 12 hours ahead of Pittsburgh time, so on our home time we will arrive at around noon on Monday, but in Bangkok it will be almost midnight. This will work out well hopefully. We'll be so tired that we can fall into bed, sleep through the night, and wake up adjusted to the time change. Right.

I asked the the kids what they were most nervous about regarding the trip. Kaley is nervous about the bugs. I can relate. She's also nervous about finding food that she likes to eat. (I only packed 8 packs of peanut butter crackers & they probably won't last long!) Me, I have lots of things I'm nervous about. Flying. Not my favorite thing. Puking. Not my favorite thing.
As we go along, there will be bigger things to be nervous about. Like.... will our hearts be broken by what we see in Cambodia? Will seeing their birthcountry be a positive experience for Brennan & Kaley or a very difficult one? So much to think about... but hopefully while you read this, we're somewhere peacefully over the Pacific Ocean watching a movie. (Packed in like a sardine in the back of coach. Delightful.)

****Newsflash! Live from the Latrobe Airport! Free wireless internet access. What a great experience so far. This is a tiny little airport with three commuter flights per day to Detroit on Northwest Airlines. We were greeted and checked in by a nice young woman who will eventually come down to the lounge to take us through security and usher us out to our plane. (I don't believe she is the pilot... but who knows!) So far this is a totally stress free way to start the trip. Pull up 100 feet from the door, park for free, be personally greeted, and use the internet for free. The kids are happily spending my American quarters playing video games in the little arcade. Happy days! I suspect our two hours in Detroit may be a bit more stressful....but if there is wireless internet and a few free moments, I'll be back!!

Well, that didn't work so well after all. We had internet access but we couldn't upload. Too bad. Flight to Detroit was smooth on our little turbo-prop. Just for the record, the Latrobe airport has a restaurant with an observation deck where you can go outside to watch someone board & wave goodbye just like the good old days. Sort of fun! I will add that seated behind us in the turboprop was this poor kid and his dad/uncle/grandfather type person with him. Two minutes after we took off this kid started throwing up and did so the whole way to Detroit. The very young stewardess looked like she was going to puke as the took towels to help clean him up. Brennan moved away. I practiced my deep breathing to keep myself from being inspired to do likewise. Yuck!

While waiting to board we got bad news from our friend Derek who was to meet us in Bangkok. His plane took off in Tucson and then appeared to be "chased" by a smaller aircraft. They turned around and went back to the airport. Turns out that the plane was having mechanical problems and a "part" was hanging down and the other aircraft was sent to investigate. This delay forced him and many others to miss their connecting flights in LA. So he went home to try again the next day, He will now (Hopefully) arrive in Bangkok 24 hours behind us. I guess we should just be very grateful that his plane made it back down safely!

In Detroit we boarded a HUGE 747 with first class upstairs and about 1/3 of the lower level being business class. Cool pod like seat/beds. As for us, we were in row 63 & 64 in the very back of coach. It wasn't too bad. Three movies, dinner, and breakfast later we arrive in Tokyo. I kept wondering how on earth I ever made this trip with the babies!! I do remember sitting wedged in to a bulkhead seat with my friend Marcy who travelled with me to bring home the kids. They gave us these little cardboard bassinet that attached to the bulkhead where the babies could sleep. Of course they had no part of them. I guess it's sort of like labor pain and blocking it out.... because I honestly have no memory of the flights besides those bulkhead seats and cardboard box bassinet!