Today is the start of the longest trip we’ve ever taken together. We were up at 2:30 am so we could get to the airport by 4:00 to catch a flight to Seattle at 5:05 am.\u00a0 We have a flight to New York at 8:05 am.\u00a0 However, it is now 5:49 am and we are still sitting on the tarmac, crammed into a tiny Horizon prop plane, with no projected leaving time.\u00a0 Apparently there is a problem with a lightbulb. Also, someone keeps kicking the back of my seat and the person to my left keeps coughing and is surely going to get me sick.<\/p>\n
I was already anxious – just normal pre-vacation anxiety accentuated by the fact that we are going to be gone for almost three weeks.\u00a0 Now I’m more anxious.\u00a0 It’s hot on this plane.<\/p>\n
Anyway, here is our plan: we hope to arrive in New York at 4:30 this afternoon. We were planning to get breakfast in Seattle during our nice long layover and also get some lunch to carry on the plane.\u00a0 Now we may be subsisting today on Kind bars and Trident gum.<\/p>\n
In New York we are spending the night at the Distrikt Hotel near Times Square. We booked this hotel for free using Choice Privileges points.<\/p>\n
Wednesday evening we fly Virgin Atlantic to Heathrow and when we arrive in London on Thursday we have a car scheduled to take us to Gatwick where we will spend the night at the Sofitel.<\/p>\n
Friday morning we fly to Genoa, Italy where a car will meet us and take us to Santa Margherita where we will meet my father and stepmother.\u00a0 We will spend five days in Santa Margherita with my Dad and Iris and then fly back to London where we will stay four nights at the Staybridge Suites Vauxhall. I am particularly excited about this hotel because they have a hotel labradoodle puppy named Waggers who gets excellent reviews on TripAdvisor for his friendliness.<\/p>\n
Then on Sunday, May 3rd we board Cunard’s Queen Mary where we will spend seven nights, arriving in Brooklyn on Mother’s Day.\u00a0 That evening we will fly home on Jet Blue.<\/p>\n
At the moment we are still on the tarmac in Portland. We are told they are only waiting on paperwork now. I am so hungry.<\/p>\n
Well, this is travel. Sometimes getting to where you’re going is a real pain in the ass.<\/p>\n
Signing off at 6:12 am. Still on the tarmac.<\/p>\n