Travel – we’re getting the hang of it

I’ve chronicled our travel debacles since Nuha’s birth in a couple of places now. Travelling with multiple pieces of luggage, frustrated and harried at airports, struggling to console our daughter on planes. But I have to say, we did real well this time. As we left home for Paris, and eventually Istanbul, we did so with two medium sized suitcases and a small carry-on, all well under the weight limit. Beyond that, I had a small backpack that I planned to use during our treks. We were ready before the shuttle arrived to pick us up, patiently waiting by the door, which in itself represented a marked change from our previous trips, where I’d usually be busy with last minute things, praying for the taxi to be late.

But the hot streak didn’t end there. Security lines, which once used to be child’s play, had become terrifying ordeals that we hated. This time around, however, it was like a finely choreographed dance - eliminate liquid containers before the line, grab multiple bins in one go, deposit jackets/belts/shoes in one, laptop in another, and backpack in the third. Shoes off, ticket in one hand, baby in another, deliver strategic ninja kicks to expertly collapse stroller, and walk through. Done!

Actually, the entire journey was a series of high fives between Saeeda and I. All except for one incident. We had boarded our KLM flight from SFO to Amsterdam, and the flight attendant, sitting in a jumpseat directly in front of us, asked us to buckle Nuha in. Nuha, however, wanted nothing doing . And so began a Class A, Premium Quality Meltdown of the 1st Degree. We’re talking writhing, hollering, hell-raising screaming, with tears and snot streaming out in copious amounts. Our neighboring passengers did their best to ignore the tirade, and we did our best to control Nuha, but to no avail. We were “those” parents with the uncontrollable child, and I could tell everyone was doing mental math to figure out how long they would be stuck beside us. Thankfully, the tantrum stopped the moment we reached cruising altitude and unbuckled Nuha. I think the flight attendant figured out what was in her best interest too, because during landing she turned a blind eye as we waited until the last possible minute to buckle Nuha, and then unbuckled her the first opportunity we got.

Still, all in all this was one of our most successful trips ever, and I’m hoping that it’s something that we can build on.