We've never done the online check-in for United Airlines. Something about doing it from my cellphone kind of spooked me. There was comfort in doing it the old way from the kiosk and so on and so forth and getting a hard copy paper ticket.
But this time, when the United app sent a message that I should do the online check-in, I held my breath and tried it. If my kids were here, they would have held my hand through it but I had to take the risk on my own. So I did it.
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The cheerful attendant took our bags, labeled them and sent them on their way.
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We left at 5:15 in the afternoon.
This was supposed to be a red-eye flight, but I can NEVER sleep. The flight was totally FULL.
And then... there it was below us.
Chicago.
It was 6:15 in the morning. The flight was ON TIME! How amazing is that?
We had not been to Chicago since February of 2020!
Can it really be that we hadn't been back in almost 4 years?
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It was a nostalgic, weird sort of feeling to be walking again through the familiar corridors of O'Hare Airport.
We saw that the longest lines were at McDonalds and Starbucks.
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Our daughter, Tiffany came to pick us up before going to work. She had the guestroom ready for us along with toiletries, towels, extra blankets and even breakfast food. (Extra blankets? It was sweltering in Hawaii!)
Our granddaughter was off to high school and then an hour later, our son-in-law was off to O'Hare for his week long job in another state. Tif told us we'd come at a crazy time for all of them.
Once everyone was gone, the travel exhaustion hit us. We fell asleep for about two hours and then spent the time unpacking and etc.
This was going to be a very short trip because we can't leave mom alone for long. My brother comes to stay with her, but I feel bad having to rely on him to stay at our house for any long period.
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Tiffany returned from work a little early and she prepared chicken shawarma for dinner. It was wonderful!
KC then left for her dance rehearsals and we spent the evening with Tif catching up and just talking and talking until around 10:00 at night when we welcomed KC home. (It was 5:00 PM in Hawaii.)
And then we crashed...totally exhausted. Our circadian rhythm would need several days to adjust itself.
You're making me tired. 😎😴
ReplyDeleteHave a good week.
I know what you're experiencing having just done it in September when we went to Spain for two weeks. Time changes are harder as we age though I'm still wanting to travel. Dan? Not so much anymore but we do have a big trip planned for June 24 and we'll see after that. Tif has a lovely home.
ReplyDeleteI've read that when you travel recovery takes one day for each time zone you travel through. You may very well be back home by then.
ReplyDeleteYou’re absolutely right according to my pilot cousin. In fact, you’d think I’d be done with jet lag since it’s been a week since we returned, but here I am waking up at 4:30 in the morning.
DeleteSo glad you guys made it safely.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to hear that your travel went so smoothly. And I do hope you and Art got home safe and sound!
ReplyDeleteGlad you made it. Take it easy!
ReplyDeleteYou can be proud of yourself for checking in. It's really tough for older people to travel these days.
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful start to your trip--seeing familiar places but also spending time with family. I understand exactly what you mean about not being able to be gone long. I went on a 5 day campering trip with John and was concerned about my mother the whole time, although not obsessively. The dinner sounds delicious!
ReplyDeleteWhat an inviting looking bed - I thought you were staying in a posh hotel!
ReplyDeleteCeci
Kay of Musings: Hi Ceci! They really are expert decorators. I wish they were here to help us decorate our house.
DeleteI take lorazapam for red eye flights. Knocks me out and gives me a "black" total sleep. What a wonderful and welcoming place for you!
ReplyDeleteKay of Musings: I’m always afraid to take too strong a drug for fear the plane will go down while I’m sleeping. I know it’s silly… but….
DeleteHow wonderful you are back there visiting again.
ReplyDeleteYou were brave to try no-paper boarding. I looked and looked at your daughter's dinner table. I kept thinking she'd built a skinny little grill into the table. How amazing! But then I realized it's a table runner in the middle. But it sure looks like a hibachi type of grill in the middle! Linda in Kansas
ReplyDelete*squints* My gosh, Linda, you've got great eyes. I thought it was a grill as well.
DeletePS: Welcome home! You'll probably be sleeping for days!
DeleteKay of Musings: Ahhh… I’m looking at that photo and wow! It does look like a grill. It didn’t even occur to me before. My son-in-law especially has a very modern taste in designs. I love it, but I keep ending up with more old fashioned choices in furniture and room styles.
DeleteHey! It also says you have a post "Shawn's Proud Auntie" but I can't see it. Am I seeing things? (I might be, I'm old.) LOL!
ReplyDeleteKay of Musings: Oops! I’m so sorry… I was trying to write all the posts for Chicago and was moving things around when I published that one by mistake and had to redo it.
DeleteA long flight.
ReplyDelete