Princess Four is on Her Way

Princess Four is on her way to Thailand with a few snags in the process. 

That morning, her alarm didn't go off but thank heavens I had two set myself. I got her up about an hour after she wanted to get up but we had gotten everything ready the night before so it was ok.

I hurried and braided her hair and loaded the car. We were staying in another city as we don't have an airport within 3 hours of our home. We got to the airport as it was getting light and were 2 1/4 hours early for her international flight. However, the international terminal was closed so I dropped her off there not knowing that and following instructions we had gotten the day before. She was hauling her large bags in when the bus driver stopped her to tell her she had to go back to another terminal. By this point, I was pulling out to go park the car. 

She had to walk quite a way with her large bags and when I arrived, we were the first one's there. One of the other moms commented on how she felt bad about not dropping her daughter off at the international terminal so we texted the rest of the group about it being closed and to go to the Delta terminal instead, saving them the same long walk as princess.




People started arriving but the leaders of the group didn't have their flight until 11:30 and there were two groups going at 8:30. One was 20 kids and a few adults and the other was one adult and four kids and the last group was at 11:30 with the two main leaders and several kids. When I went to check in her bags at 7:30 due to the leaders being late, they wanted to charge us $60 for the duffel bag full of humanitarian supplies. I grabbed the leader and we found out that even though the tickets were booked at the same time and her ticket does go to Singapore like the rest,about 1/3 of the group had individual tickets to LA and then on the Singapore for some reason so since the entire trip wasn't booked through Singapore airlines, they charge for the second bag on the first leg of the trip.

The leader didn't want to worry about it as she had just been informed that the two other groups flights (including hers) that were to another airport were canceled due to a plane crash and only the shorter runways were working so they would have to reroute themselves to another city first and then meet up in Singapore but they couldn't do that through the airlines as it was booked through a travel agent. 

Their travel agent was doing a tour in China and they couldn't reach him. So, the other group sat not knowing what to do until they could find someone that worked for the agent. It was 7:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning. Not much luck. 

The leader pulled out her credit card and told them to charge the extra bags. I mentioned they could probably buy a whole lot of toothbrushes and first aid supplies when arriving in the main city in Thailand before going to the work site and if she wanted, I could take the bags back and not have them pay the $60 a bag. That was more than half the price of their ticket to LA. She just wanted to make sure that at least the one larger group got on their way. 

They rushed to security and there was the longest line I have ever seen. It extended to the parking garage, looped around and then all the way back to security. I thought they may miss their flight but she texted me ten minutes before the plane was to take off saying she was on the plane.

They had a long lay over in LA leaving about 12 hours later for Singapore, then to Japan and then on to Thailand. I am not sure how they get to the work site in Thailand but I know they said the trip was a day and a half, or more, so I still haven't heard from her. 

I am on the phone tree to call all the parents and let them know they made it to Thailand so I look forward to hearing that news tomorrow and hopefully she will be able to email me when she gets there as I know they are staying in a nice place with wi-fi etc. 

I'll keep you informed as to how things are going for her as she lets me know. Look at the smile in all her photos even though she didn't get much sleep and had to get up early. She is NOT a morning person. :-)  With that smile, you have to know she is excited to go. You can expect a full report in a few weeks.