Finally! Leaving on a Jet Plane

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Leaving on a Jet Plane

By Hattie Foote

Summertime, sweet summertime, is upon us!

Since we are vaxed and relaxed, my husband and I decided it was time to reschedule a pre-pandemic trip we had originally planned for April 2020 (lol).

My grandma was turning 100 years old this year, and after losing my dad in January there was no way we were missing this. I called American Airlines to book the trip and was met with a four hour wait time, but I couldn’t have cared less. We were going somewhere on a plane! I would have waited three days on the phone at this point.

I didn’t even notice the 6 a.m. departure time in my sheer excitement, which interfered with my customary inflight cheap chardonnay with ice which I like to drink, but minor details. A year late and a dollar short, but we were on our way to Rochester, New York.

I packed up the kids’ backpacks with treats, books, and the almighty tablets. Oh, and masks, so many masks. I gave them a pep talk for the long day of travel wearing said masks which I was dreading, but surprisingly wasn’t an issue the whole trip. We arrived at the airport, headed to security, and Lux had to have her bag searched. This is her worst nightmare, she burst out crying and thought she was going to jail. The poor TSA agents were so kind trying to comfort her and make sure she didn’t have weapons at the same time.

A lot going on before 6 a.m., but it just felt so good and normal-ish at the airport. Our flight was uneventful other than Hunter shouting “What planet are we on?” every five minutes.

We got to Chicago to switch planes and I turned around to say something to Chris, but he was gone. I looked around and saw him embracing a woman with a dog. This probably sounds so weird, which it is, if you don’t know Chris. We could be in the middle of nowhere, and he would either know somebody, or befriend a stranger. It turns out he ran into a Coronado Fitness Club member, who lives in Arizona, who was going to a dog show in Dayton, Ohio. Twenty minutes of kissing babies and shaking hands later, we made our connection and got to Rochester.

At this point, New York had lifted their mask mandate, so that took some getting used to! Most of the grocery stores/Target/some restaurants didn’t require masks if you were vaccinated. I have waited to rip these masks off for so long, but when the time came, I was apprehensive which surprised me. By the time this is published, California will be fully reopened and I’m sure I won’t feel the same reluctance.

We had the best time with my Grannie. It was bittersweet because we hadn’t seen each other since my dad passed, and this was our time to remember him and celebrate her. I cherished every minute with her and soaked up her love and wisdom. Ever since I was little, she would slip me a $20 bill at the airport, we would laugh, and I would call her a drug dealer. I sobbed as I watched her do it with my two children, her great grandchildren. I feel so grateful for the time with her, and for our return to normalcy.

On our flight back, Hunter got to go to the cockpit and make the welcome onboard announcement over the PA. He just kept repeating “Welcome, welcome,” in his gruff little voice, and I’m sure the other passengers were alarmed that the pilot may be drunk.

We took off, both of my babies asleep at my side, and I sipped my cheap chardonnays with ice as we flew west into the sunset. After the pandemic I will never take traveling for granted again. TSA can pat me down anytime. Bring on the flight delays. Lost baggage? Sure, why not. Hallelujah - we are back! (Knock on wood.)