An Adventure Across the Atlantic: From Early Morning Alarms to Family Reunions
Ah, the joys of early mornings! The alarm clock, that fiendish invention, had the audacity to ring at the ungodly hour of 03:40. But why, you ask? Well, it was all in preparation for our epic two-flight journey across the vast Atlantic Ocean.
Now, we had noble intentions of tiptoeing around like silent shadows, so as not to rouse the slumbering giants (a.k.a. Mum and Dad). But as luck would have it, Mum made an appearance in the kitchen at 04:20, brewing a cup of tea that probably could have woken the entire neighborhood!
Drew, our designated chauffeur for the day, lived up to his reputation by fashionably arriving a tad late. Nevertheless, he miraculously whisked us off to the airport just before the clock struck 05:00.
Manchester airport and flight one of two
The check-in for our bags went off without a hitch, but oh boy, the lines for the security check were longer than a giraffe’s neck! Luckily, our fellow travelers exhibited the patience of saints, and before we knew it, an hour and a half had vanished into thin air.
Once we emerged victorious from the clutches of security, Michele led the charge to duty-free, where fragrances galore found their way into our shopping bags. With that delightful detour behind us, it was time for a meal fit for kings…
Airport breakfast stories
Would you believe it? Two full English breakfasts, two servings of eggs on toast, and four hours’ worth of beverages set us back a whopping £35! Dick Turpin himself would’ve considered it daylight robbery!
Our maiden flight took us from Manchester to Dublin, and despite a 15-minute delay, we landed in the Emerald Isle ahead of schedule. Talk about a pleasant surprise!
Dublin airport and flight two of two
In Dublin, we were spared the hassle of collecting our bags, thanks to the good folks at Aer Lingus who had done the heavy lifting for us. However, a minor panic ensued when Joshua revealed he had stashed his beloved digital SLR camera in his checked luggage. Fingers crossed, it’ll survive the journey to Chicago!
Another round of security checks awaited us in Dublin, where we were held up briefly as they scrutinized Michele’s unopened bottle of cough medicine, purchased on the Manchester side. Thankfully, it was all clear!
No dawdling in damp Dublin for us, as we had the pleasure of clearing American immigration, a move that promised to save us precious time once we touched down in the good ol’ US of A.
After a brief interlude, Lewis indulged in one final beer before his 21st birthday, as American soil would deny him that pleasure for the next two and a half weeks. The sacrifices one makes for adventure!
The flight across the Atlantic
We finally boarded, claiming our extra-legroom seats for Lewis and me, while Joshua and Michele took their seats behind us. The in-flight meal, with options like chicken tikka and beef casserole, turned out to be surprisingly decent. The chicken tikka even earned a culinary gold star!
Chicago
Touchdown! We arrived in Chicago slightly ahead of schedule, and the lack of customs checks was a blessing in disguise. We had already crossed that hurdle in Dublin, and so we breezed through like seasoned travelers on an internal flight.
Next up, we ventured over to Dollar for our car rental, where Lewis managed to finagle a ride from the Avis bus. Our ride? A slightly battle-scarred Nissan Rogue! It might not have been pristine, but hey, it was a car, and that’s all that mattered.
With wheels under us, we hit the freeway (the Eisenhower, to be precise), and despite a minor mishap courtesy of the GPS, we made excellent time to Julie’s place.
It had been a good two years since we’d seen our cousin in person in Jamaca for my 50th, except for those occasional Skype calls. But as soon as we reunited, it was as if we’d never missed a beat. All four of the kids seemed to click seamlessly, with Chris and Lewis hanging out while Elle and Josh chilled out with the rest of us.
