First Flight - 04.06.12

If you know my husband then you know that he has an adventure’s heart.  He taught me the joy of vacationing extravagantly.  I’m talking ramen noodles for a year so that you literally spare no expense on travels.  If you know me then you know I have an accountant’s heart.  I have spreadsheets for my spreadsheets.  I know to the penny what things costs and I love saving money.  These two hearts don’t seem to go together but they do.  He’s taught me to let go and just live in the moment and I’ve taught him how to save so we aren’t in the poor house after a vacation. 

We started dating in 2001, and he’s made sure that we’ve gone somewhere fun each year.  Here are a few of the highlights, but honestly we’ve done so much that I can’t remember them all.  These are just a few of the flights...no road trips included.

 2011 – Savannah, Georgia and Washington, D.C.

2010 – San Miguel, Costa Rica and New York, NY 

2009 – Sarasota, Florida. (that's TJ body surfing)

2008 – St. John’s, US Virgin Islands

2007 – St. Lucia (camera stolen - only one phone pic) / Las Vegas, NV

2006 – Winter Park, Colorado /  Cruise to: Belize / Guatemala / Honduras / Mexico

2005 – Only road trips.

2004 – St. John’s, USVI

2003 - Bozeman, MT

You get the idea.  Also keep in mind that each year there were at least two road trips to Georgia for Thanksgiving and Christmas, the yearly river trips, and countless summer staff's in Colorado. We love traveling.  We promised ourselves that we would continue to travel once little man was here.  We would just cart him along and roll with the punches, but now it was time to put that plan into action.

Our first flight for 2012 was a trip home for Easter. (Well, I was going home for Easter and TJ was going to the Masters.)  I could do this trip in my sleep.  At least that was before the arrival of little Tilmon Edward.  I was terrified.  All of a sudden I was going to be the lady with a baby that I hated.  I can’t tell you how many screaming babies on flights that I have hated.  Why can’t that mom shut the baby up? Now it was my turn.  Would he be good?  Would the cabin pressure hurt his ears?  Would he catch some horrible sickness from all of the airport germs?

I got a total of 2 hours sleep the night before the flight.  I had detailed lists of items not to forget.  I unpacked and repacked the diaper bag to make sure I had everything.  Here we go.  We are in the security line and there’s a woman behind us who has never flown.  Surprisingly, both of us have the exact same look of panic on our face.  This is when the competitive Ellen Tuggle kicked in.  I was not this person.  I am not scared to fly.  I will not fail.  I will not cry.  I shook it off, squared my shoulders, held my head high. 

In some sick twist of fate, four pilots cut in front of us so we would be going through security at the same time.  You wanna play?  We can do this.  I looked at TJ and said, “We’re going to beat them through line.”  He’s seen my competitive face before and he knew one thing.  Don’t disappoint me.  We were going to win.  You should have seen us.  I had my ziplock baggies, my shoes, my purse, and the breastmilk in the bin in record time.  TJ had broken down the stroller and carseat so fast that he was sweating.  He hands me the baby and I practically box out the 3^rd pilot to go through the metal detector.  TJ was right behind me.  It was a thing of beauty.  We tied the pilots.  The professional fliers.  Woo hoo!  I damn near spiked the baby in triumph.  Maybe I can do this motherhood thing after all.

2012 - Augusta, Georgia.  It may not be some fun exotic vacation we are used to, but hey...it's a start, right?