The day before a big trip is always full of last minute errands and this year is no different. Even though we'd already cleaned our house and packed everything there were still a dozen little things that needed to be done.
I had to get my blog updated and finally send out the calendar email, so that was a top priority on my to-do list. Meanwhile, Pat was busy creating a host family recruiting poster and preparing snack bags for the kids.
On Saturday morning, we woke up early to go to Central Latprao to exchange baht for dollars. We normally transfer most of the trip funds to America electronically, but I always bring some cash along for emergencies and the first day or two of meals. We also dropped the poster design off at the photo shop across from Central to be printed.
We had time before the money exchange opened, so we went to Tesco-Lotus to buy some big plastic pails to store dog and cat food. Our center's Thai teacher will be stopping by our house a few times a week to feed Seven and Pumpkin (our dog and cat) and to water our plants. So we needed some big containers to keep the pet food free of ants.
When we returned to Central, I exchanged our baht into dollars and then we went to a Korean restaurant for lunch. While we were eating, it started to rain very heavily. This was a bit surprising because this is supposed to be the dry season, but it has been very hot lately, so some rain was probably due.
After we got back home, our first task was to re-pack all our bags. It's a good opportunity to double-check our list and make sure we having forgotten anything important. Then we started to prep the house for a month-long vacancy. Last year, when we returned from the trip we had to deal with a lot of creepy-crawlies that had moved in during our absence. So this year, we took extra care to seal up any entry points and remove any food that might attract bugs and other critters.
Once we finished that up, I sent out the calendar/blog email (finally!) and then Gam and her mom stopped by to drop off some gifts for the Miller family (Gam's former hosts). Gam is doing really well now. She's attending an international school and learning to play the harp. It is nice to see that she is still keeping in touch with the Miller family. I hope some day she'll be able to host them if they ever decide to visit Thailand!
We were still finishing up some last minute tasks when the taxi arrived, so it was a bit of a scrabble to rush out the door. Some day, I'd like to be casually sipping an ice tea while waiting for my ride to the airport, but it never works out that way. I always end up rushing around in a mad panic, shoving stuff into my backpack as I run out the door. Sigh.
We arrived at the airport first. We told everyone to meet us at 7:30pm, but we actually left the house at 5:30pm so we arrived at six o'clock. We found a nice spot near the airline check-in and set up our little camp. Japan was the first to arrive, but soon everyone showed up. The parents kept hugging their kids good-bye even though we still had a couple of hours before we had to go to our gate. I saw a few tear-eyed kids, but I won't say who, because they were doing their best to be tough, nonchalant teenagers :-).
A couple of kids got a taste of my military "airport-mode" when they wanted to wander off to take photos while I was trying to get everyone lined up so I could check bags and passports. I can be a bit strict in the airport, but wrangling nine kids and their bags through an airport isn't an easy task, so I give them a stern talking-to if they aren't cooperating with the main task at hand. Photos and shopping are the primary concern of the kids, but it's my job to get them from point-A to point-B in one piece and with all their stuff, so I always tell them that traveling with me is like joining the army, lots of "hurry up and wait", hahah!
My obsession with bag-counting and passport-checking paid off, however, because somebody (PAT!!) forgot her backpack in the waiting lounge near the gate. We were already on the plane when I noticed that Pat was missing her bag, so I told her to run off the plane and go get it. I had a major panic attack while she was gone. That bag had her phones, the camera chargers, and half our cash funds! Yikes!!
Fortunately, Pat found her bag and nothing was missing. Whew! That was a big relief!
Our flight to Korea was fairly uneventful. I managed to get a few hours of sleep, but plane seats are not exactly suited for someone my size. So it's difficult to rest when the headrest is digging into my shoulders and the seat in front of me is crushing my knees.
Once we arrived in Korea, the kids immediately got out their phones and started playing games and taking selfies. I think during the orientation week, Pat and I may have a few "phone free days" so we can talk to the kids about an appropriate level of technology addiction.
We are about two hours out of Chicago right now. The flight from Korea to Chicago was long and boring (as usual). I think I've watched five movies already. Bleh. I'm not sure when we will have internet access, so this blog entry might not get uploaded until Monday. Our plan is to take the shuttle up to New Holstein, get settled in at the church and then get the kids fed, showered and off to bed. Monday morning I will go into Manitowoc to pick up the van and then we will drive up to Green Bay to drop Ploy off at St. Norbert College.
That's all for now.
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