Frabjous Mother's Day

Frabjous Mother's Day

Friday, June 5, 2009

Traveling by Plane in the Electronic Age(With a 12 Year Old)

I am going on a trip with my daughter to look around at a possible new place for my husband and I to move to with better possibilities. Packing is something I am good at. I am organized. I made our lists of what we were bringing and what to put in the carry ons. I have the papers all prepared. I do things ahead of time. I hate stressing at the last minute.

The food is packed for the flight since airlines are not a friendly service industry anymore. They are a cow herding industry now. Moo! “ Head ‘em up and move ‘em out! Keep rolling, rolling, rolling...”

I looked at our carry ons a moment ago and it suddenly hit me we really do travel differently than when I was a kid. I might have carried a doll, a book or maybe some drawing supplies. The airlines had games and things for the kids. Now you have to beg to get a pair of stick on plastic wings as a souvenir. We used to get beautiful metal pin on wings from all the airlines. I had quite a collection of them from all over the world. We had playing cards from all the airlines too. It was all free and given with a smile. Now I get attendants glaring if they get asked too many things or if you dare to push the call button for help. You are not supposed to expect service or a smile anymore. You are supposed to sit quietly smashed into your 2"x 2" seat with no leg or breathing room.

We have three carry ons. One is my purse. That has my papers, the tickets, ids for both of us and my cell phone, pens and ibuprofen and some black licorice Dutch katjes to chew on for the flight to help ears and help relieve air pressure.

The other two are packed full of electronics. We are flying fully wired. In my other case is my laptop and all my chargers for my cell and laptop, extension cords, microphone and earphone, a notebook for writing in and some changes of underwear. In case our bag disappears, I always carry changes of underwear on my carry on. I have been traveling since I was five weeks old. I have seen many things disappear in my travels. I like to travel prepared. Apparently underwear is on the approved list with airport security and Homeland Security too. Underwear isn’t dangerous like a nail file for instance or tweezers that you might hijack a plane with. ( Have you ever tried to picture that scenario in your head and not rolled your eyes?)

In her case she has her cell phone and charger, her PSP and games, her small DVD player with headphones, cords, remote and a few DVDs, her iPod with a headphone and her little movie camera my husband and I gave her for Christmas. The backpack weighs a ton. The food will be in there too. You should hear her complaining about how heavy it is.

"This is too heavy!

“Well don’t take all that stuff then.”

“ I have to, Mommy. I need it all.”

“Then quit complaining.”

Apparently we have to travel wired to the max now.

5 comments:

caribbeanmuse said...

Like you think we don't have any chargers in Texas? lol Can't Wait!!!

Maggie Ray said...

I've adapted travel styles over the years but it is definitely more complicated with kids along!

Angel said...

I've never been on a plane so have no idea what I'd carry. Hope you enjoy the trip.

Unknown said...

I love traveling. If ya ever get out my way look me up. Good luck on the trip.

B.J. said...

I remember being that way when I was a kid. I had a duffle bag I took everywhere that had about 6 books, my Gameboy and games, a portable cassette player and library of music, and probably a notebook and pens for me to write stories and such if the mood struck me.

I hated carrying the thing around when we traveled, but I refused to leave anything behind because I "needed" it.

Now, when I travel, I have an iPhone and maybe a paperback, since my iPhone covers everything else I had in that bag from when I was a kid.