The Only Way Out Is Through

I used that phrase a lot the last time we did something like this.  There are so many details to put together that by the end you just want all of the preparation and planning to be OVER.  And it's hard to believe it's all going to work out. But quitting isn't an option (well, it is, but it's a pretty lame option), so the only choice is to keep pushing through until there's no time left and you just have to DO it.  Buckle in, since the point of no return has long since been passed.

We were able to use frequent flier miles to get the tickets, but we couldn't get them all together.  I flew down on a 6:00 am flight with my 3 younger kids and Ryan flew down at 2:00 pm with Mason.

To catch a 6 am flight, you have to wake up at somewhere-in-the-middle-of-the-night o'clock to get there on time, so don't plan on sleeping.  I laid in my bed for about 4 hours, and then at 3:30 am, it was time to get up and get going.

Ryan drove us to the airport, and we got everything checked in and headed through security.  Chloe and I made it through just fine, Katie had to dump a bottle of leave-in conditioner and a thing of sunscreen, and Andrew's backpack got flagged as well.  I couldn't figure out what he had that would have triggered the sensors, and then saw that as his one toy/game he could bring, he chose a big metal box of dominoes, that weighed probably 5 pounds.  I questioned his choice until he and Chloe spent an hour in each airport we went to setting up domino tracks to knock over.

I was pretty much catatonic for most of the flight to Miami, and my kids were kind enough to leave me alone while I sat there in that not-asleep-but-not-awake state that is the best that can be done when you're flying coach.  Which is every plane trip ever for me.  I could tell I was doing that open-mouth gaping kind of thing while I "slept" and I didn't even care.

We had a layover in Miami followed by an hour sitting on the tarmac waiting for Cuban airspace to clear.  Aren't we over this yet, Cuba?  But Andrew got to sit in the cockpit and we flew over some amazing islands that made me second guess my choice to go somewhere in the mountains.

We landed in the middle of a downpour, and got our ride to Antigua.  It was slow going with the traffic, and it was dark and gray outside because of the rain.  And we were tired.  And I was a little stressed.

We got to the house, and met the family that lives here and takes care of the house.  We did a quick tour of the house, and I came to find out that none of the rooms are actually connected to each other.  Every room empties out onto a courtyard in the middle that is kind of like an outdoor living room. So nary a hallway to be found.  Ryan and I have a bathroom that attaches, but my kids have to leave their rooms and basically go outside to get to their bathrooms.  The whole thing kind of threw me off.  Once it gets dark at 6:00 pm, it kind of feels like you're camping, since there isn't a lot of light in the rooms, and you spend a lot of time outside going from room to room.  Who doesn't love a 2-month camping trip? I'll post photos of the house later.

It was a rough first night as we waited in the dark for Ryan and Mason to arrive.  The house stressed me out, I was tired, my kids were sad that we were going to be gone for so long, and the rain wouldn't stop.  I knew intellectually that things would be hard at the beginning, but it's difficult to really prepare yourself for the mental challenge of losing the world you're used to and starting a new life somewhere so different.  And being the mom, I get to absorb all emotions that gush out of my children and hold onto them. Lucky me!

I felt that as we prayed about and prepared for this trip that it was the right thing to do, and I felt very sure about the house we rented. So that was going to have to carry me over until life settled into something that felt a little less overwhelming.


A few photos from the trip down:

 The view over the Caribbean

 First stop after landing was the bathroom.  Each stall we went into greeted us with this:

After we left, we realized we were supposed to have grabbed some toilet paper as we walked in.  Obviously.

Just waiting for our ride in the rain.  Katie's shirt says "Say Yes to New Adventures".  Very appropriate.

Seeing the Walmart sign in Guatemala City made me a little homesick for Crestwood.  I never knew how much I could love a Walmart until the best Walmart in the country moved in right down the street.

It was a downpour our whole trip from the Guatemala City airport to Antigua (about 30 miles away, but 1 1/2 hours with traffic and rain).  This is a view of our street.  Turns out it becomes a river when it rains a lot. Anyone got a canoe?

We were starving by the time we got to Antigua, so we went out with our umbrellas in search of food.   We could have been adventurous, but when you're tired and have three tired kids, something familiar and fast is the way to go.  Wendy's hit the spot.  They said "con mucho gusto" ("our pleasure") after everything I asked for and carried our trays to the table for us.

This is the wall across from our house with beautiful bougainvillea  trailing over the top.

So, landing day wasn't our best, but we had hope for the future.