Snakes on Planes, Friends at Airports

Okay, we’ve been home for seven weeks and still I haven’t written about the trip home from China. Let’s just say that while everything has been amazingly well since we got home, it’s been a bit of shock to adjust back to work, home, conference planning, the boys and, oh yes, having a one-year-old in the house.

For the sake of getting this over, let me just dive in and see what I still remember of those 24 hours. Getting ready to leave for the airport was made a bit more complicated by the fact that the hotel had shut off all water from 1:00 to 5:00 AM but we survived. I was a little irritated that our guides were making us get up so early and we got to the airport well ahead of schedule. There, we had the misfortune of having our bags chosen for a random search. Every single item in our three big suitcases was taken out and everything that was, for instance, wrapped in newspaper for safekeeping was unwrapped. Of course, when they repacked the suitcases, it wasn’t done with quite the same amount of care that Jeannette had exercised the night before.

Other than being a bit irritated, everything was still fine. We had to argue with the clerk at the counter about a bag that was supposedly overweight and then we misunderstood the directions to our gate but we finally found the right security clearance area. Time was getting a little short but we were still fine. Then the drama began . . .

Jameson had bought a wooden, toy snake in Guangzhou and one of the security guys decided that it couldn’t be taken on the plane. Okay, I’ve been up since five o’clock and they just ransacked everything in our bags and my son has tears in his eyes because some idiot thinks a toy snake shouldn’t be on board. Without going into details, I decided that they were not going to get his toy. (At one point, as Jameson tried to fight back the tears, I whispered, “Go ahead and cry. Let them see you cry.”) To cut to the chase, Jeannette worked out a compromise that involved emptying most of the things out of her carry-on, throwing the snake in and checking the bag planeside.

(When we got back to the States, we saw an ad for a horror flick being released called “Snakes on Planes,” about someone releasing a bunch of dangerous snakes on a flight. Go figure.)

The flights themselves were a bit trying for Jeannette as it was hard to help Melody be comfortable (and we had the misfortune to be flying with Northwest Airlines’ LPFA . . . Least Personable Flight Attendant).

Upon landing in Portland, MelodyJoy became an official US citizen! We made our way to the Rose City Café in the airport and my parents, Laura’s husband and our friend Ellen Zarfas were waiting for us there. Later, when the Lymans arrived on a later flight from China, we were joined by some of their family and the Morgans, who had driven up from Klamath Falls to greet them. It was nice to see everyone and feel like our super-long layover at PDX was productive. We were so exhausted, though! Jameson and I had not slept at all on the two flights from China and he just collapsed in the restaurant and conked out. All four of us were the Walking Dead!

In the afternoon, we got on the little jet to Klamath Falls. We knew some folks would be waiting for us at our airport’s one and only gate but were stunned to see not just a few but dozens of people waiting for us! There were neighbors, friends from church, my staff from OIT, Jordan and Phillip . . . balloons, signs and smiles. It was awesome! When we got home, we found flowers and some friends had prepared meals for us.

I don’t know how we could have done all of this without such great support from friends and family. It’s been challenging enough anyway! We have been truly blessed.