USA Whirlwind…with toddler in tow!

Well we’ve been home a few weeks now and I think, I THINK, that life is starting to get back to normal, whatever that means. This recent trip to the USA was the longest time away from KL yet, at a whopping 4 weeks,  but yet it still flew by in a blink of an eye. How can that be? This time Ava and I split our time evenly between Phoenix, AZ and Seattle, WA so that all family members got equal time, while David spent part of the time with us in both cities and yet more time back at his home office in meetings, boohoo for him :(, but yea for the girls! 🙂

Anyway, back to the start. Although I have been traveling with Ava for over 1 year now and as of today she’s clocked in an impressive 34 flights (!!!),  I was still a bit nervous because this would be the first really LONG haul since she’s started walking, last time we took her to the states she was a mere 11 weeks old and super easy in comparison to this time- LOL. I can do a quick 1, 2, or 3 hour flight with her in my sleep, but 30+ hrs becomes a different ball game. Anyway, as per our usual route, we flew from KL to Hong Kong and stopped for the afternoon & night to regroup and stretch our legs. When we do trips like this (as in, not spend any time in HK proper), we like to stay as close to the airport as possible. There are about 3 good options and we’ve stayed at all of them but the Regal Airport hotel is by far the best. Reason: its connected directly to the airport. Easy peasy. The beds are comfortable and the staff is very nice. Thats all you need for a 24hr or less stopover. Luckily my good friend Rayna lives in HK and she was able to meet up with us for a bit and take us up to the Big Buddha, fun way to spend a couple hours that is very close to the airport, if you are interested.

The following morning we jetted off to Los Angeles…..a mere 13 hrs away- ugh. We purchased (on Cathay Pacific, our all time favorite airline for many reasons) Premium Economy and if you can swing it, I highly recommend it with kids in tow. It’s like the equivalent of Domestic First Class in the USA. We opted for the bulkhead and luckily there were no passengers needing the bassinet so we scored there. We like the bulkhead because it allows Ava more room to stand up and play. Another lucky break: We purchased a seat for her but then additionally the Premium Economy section was only half full so we had the entire 4 seat row to ourselves. Yea for movement and space!! It was a day time flight so unfortunately, Ava chose to take only 2 1 hr long naps- you know what that means right? Yup, she was awake 11 out of 13 hrs- ugh!!!! Lucky break again, she was’t cranky, just wide awake and playful so thats the silver lining right there my friends, nothing else. We made it safely into LAX and all 3 of us were beyond pooped. After a 4 hr layover that got progressively worse with toddler meltdowns, we boarded our final flight to Phoenix, a quick 1 hr flight, on US Airways (who I have to say were THE RUDEST I have ever experienced). Ava passed out in the Ergo before boarding and David and I quickly followed suit on the plane and we all slept until we reached the gate in AZ. Praise God for small miracles. We made it safe and sound. Now we sleep at Grandma & Papa’s home for a bit before the craziness that is visiting with friends & family commences the following morning- LOL :)!

Phoenix was HOT, as it always is in August, but a dry heat, something way more manageable then the sticky humidity of SE Asia. Our 2 weeks were filled with loads of fun times with family and friends- we ate ALOT, we swam in pools and played in splash pads, we shopped till we dropped (whoops…..sorry checking account!), and we generally just enjoyed the states for a time. Most importantly and most shockingly, we announced to our families the little secret we’d been keeping- BABY #2 on the way, we arrived when I was 13 weeks pregnant so it was the perfect time!!! They also threw Ava a belated 1st birthday party so that was fun as well. So many memories, so much fun, so hard saying goodbye as always. Here are some pics of our adventures in the Phoenix area (sorry not everyone we spent time with is pictured below!)…..

Seattle was about as idyllic, weather wise, as you could ever ask for in August. Temps hovering in the mid-80’s every single day, bright and sunny, fresh clean air……man I was in heaven!!!!!! Once again the 2 weeks flew by with more belated birthday celebrations, time with extended family, meeting up with old friends, and a special treat of going with my parents on their boat out to Winslow, Bainbridge Island for 3 days of dungeness crabbing!! David’s first time, I hadn’t done it in forever, and it was perfect. We caught and ate loads, and Ava enjoyed the boat and the small town walks and playgrounds….loving all this time with family. As an extra special treat- we even saw a WHALE on our way over the puget sounds from Lake Union, via the Ballard Locks; and not an orca which is more common in the Pac NW, but a huge grey whale!! Simply gorgeous and stunning in every way. We were all pinching ourselves at our luck and at the serene beauty of it all. We also enjoyed some time at Pike Place Market and just spent time walking around town and loved spending time outside in the middle of the day without getting heatstroke- LOL! Here are some pics of our time in Seattle (not everyone is pictured below- we are sorry!)…..

Frustratingly, those 2 weeks also flew by and once again we were off, heading back to SE Asia. David had already gone back due to work commitments so it was Ava and I flying solo across the world (my first time with her alone at that distance and 17 weeks pregnant to boot!). Our check-in process at Seatac was a NIGHTMARE. Worst service I have ever dealt with in my many years of traveling & hundreds, if not thousands of flights taken. Air Canada, you should be ashamed of yourselves. Never, ever, ever will I fly you again, nor will I recommend you to others. Thankfully Ava and I made it through the mess and on the 30 min flight up to Vancouver, BC where we regrouped and boarded our Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong. 12 Hours again…..this time the flight began in the afternoon hours and luckily again the Premium Economy section was not full, and we had her car seat on board this time….so after a small 1.5 hour nap followed by playtime and dinnertime….she passed out for about 6 hours- woohoo!!!!!!! Of course I hardly slept being uncomfortable with baby and constantly checking in on her but hey, at least she was out, all that matters in my opinion. She slept a total of about 7-8 out 12 hours and I couldn’t have asked for a better travel companion….plus as per the usual awesomeness of Cathay Pacific, the service was top notch and they really looked after us 2….wish I could say the same for those US and Canadian carriers- boohoo for them! :(.

We planned ahead and had David schedule some meetings in Hong Kong so he was able to met us in HK for our overnight layover and ride home with us the remainder of the way to KL (about 4 hour direct flight). That final flight the following morning was horrendous for Ava and hellacious for us as parents and for our fellow passengers…she was frankly OVER IT, as were we, but hey, we made it safe and sound and thats all that matters in the end.

A couple things to note: I was spot on with my carry-on luggage- backpack- which I blogged about a while back here (filled with diapers, wipes, change of clothes for us both, toys, lightweight blanket, small toiletries for me, iPad, etc.), a small cooler filled with baby snacks and milk/formula, her umbrella stroller for airport use (did not use on way back as explained below), my amazingly trusty ERGO baby carrier for both airport use as well as getting her to fall asleep on the plane, and on the flights back to KL, her new toddler car seat, which I really liked the ability of having her strapped in her seat and just forking over the extra cash made for a more comfortable trip for us and our fellow passengers. Also invest in a handy car seat carrier for those of you bringing your car seat on the airplane. We bought the Go-G0 Babyz Kidz Travelmate and is was AWESOME. I checked Ava’s umbrella stroller back in Seattle and just used this to roll her around the airports and it fit into the overhead compartment easy peasy.

 

The last thing I want to say about our 4th successful journey back to the USA; 2nd one with Ava (you can read about our previous adventures here, here, and here) is our extreme lack of confidence and happiness with the travel portions around the USA. Everyone from the TSA agents to the check in agents to the boarding agents on the US carriers & at the US airports were all rude as hell- we were completely shocked at the lack of civility and care of a family traveling with a little one in tow. Maybe we are just used to how family friendly Asia and the rest of the world’s airline carriers are but wow, what a superior disappointment in our home country. The nail in the coffin- NONE of the TSA agents, NOT ONE, cared to look at identification for my baby. WTHeck is that all about?!?!?! Do you know that the USA is the highest ranked country in human trafficking WORLDWIDE?!?!?! Why in the H.E double-hockeysticks would you not check to make sure the baby has ID that matches the boarding pass- regardless if they have a seat or are on your lap?! We were just floored, seriously dumbfounded. Amazingly huge FAIL on America’s safe borders initiative.

OK done with my rant and done with this entry. What a trip home- we miss you all terribly and watching you all play with Ava warmed our hearts more than you could ever imagine, this was the hardest goodbye to date by far, brings tears to my eyes even writing it out……plus we loved the shopping (ok I loved the shopping), all the amazing cuisines, home cooked meals, and indulgences only the great USofA can fulfill, and the bonus of family babysitting time too- hehe :).

Until next time, get out and travel with your families….and hug the ones you leave behind a little more~

Kimbra