And We're Off!

 Wednesday, December 13, 2023

We left our house just about 9 a.m. and the Evitts graciously drove us up to Harrisburg International Airport (MDT).  Carl and I have never flown out of MDT before - we generally fly out of BWI and when we lived in Maryland we also used Reagan International Airport.  MDT is tiny!  There was no traffic to speak of at the airport and we arrived right around 10 a.m. for our first flight (to Atlanta) at 12:39 p.m.  After check in there was nothing to do but walk the gates at terminals A & B (there is apparently a C terminal) and just bide our time.  But - the first big hurdle - getting checked in with luggage and getting boarding passes for all three flights was very easy!

Carl & Anne leaving home loaded with luggage.

Harrisburg to Atlanta was a breeze - about 1.5 hours.  We had a bit of a merry chase at Atlanta changing terminals (involved catching a train) but navigated that ok.  We had an afternoon meal at the TGIFridays at the airport and then went to our gate for the 5 hour flight from Atlanta to LAX, departing at 5:59 p.m.  All flights were on Delta Airlines.  

Atlanta to LAX was uneventful but LONG.  We had inflight movies so I watched "Elf" and this was the first of the flight where Carl and I sat across the aisle from each other so we each had an aisle seat.

We arrived tired and a little crabby in LAX at about 7:30 p.m. California time.  Navigating LAX was pretty easy since we departed from the same terminal (Terminal 3) for our Sydney flight.  This was the one where we paid extra money for "Comfort+ seats (more legroom, better food, and a nice little comfort kit with a sleep mask, toothbrush and toothpaste). We had seats 32F & G - again, aisle seats across from each other.

The final leg of our journey was supposed to leave at 10:10 p.m.  We were all boarded by that time but nothing happened.  Eventually the captain got on the intercom and said that we had a booked passenger who got off the plane and so they also had to retrieve their luggage from the plane and get it off before we could leave.  We didn't push off until just after 11 p.m.!

Believe me when I tell you that 16 hours in a plane is just too darn long!  We got a meal shortly after we took off.  Carl and I both got the pasta entree (a mushroom ravioli) served with cold potato salad (? - an odd choice).  Then I watched the latest "Mission Impossible" film (didn't see it in the theatres) and then we both tried to sleep.  I was so glad I wore a hoodie - the plane was actually cold!  I had a neck pillow and we had a bit more legroom but there is just NO comfortable position to sleep in on a plane!  I can say I probably dozed on and off for about 4 hours.  Then I woke up and couldn't get comfortable so I watched another movie - "Meet Me In St. Louis" (with Judy Garland).  And then I slept fitfully again for maybe 2 hours.  And then - we still had 7 hours of flight time left!

About 1.5 hours before we landed they served us breakfast - a breakfast calzone, about 5 small pieces of fruit (2 grapes, 2 chunks of melon and a chunk of pineapple) and a yogurt, with of course the complimentary beverage service.  I got a cup of coffee and so did the woman sitting next to me (the middle seat of 3).  Her name was Paige and she and her husband Steven were traveling to Australia to spend the holidays with family (Paige is American but Steve is Australian).  A very pleasant couple.  Anyway, as the breakfast meal was wrapping up, Paige bobbled her coffee and suddenly there was hot coffee everywhere!  Some got on my pants, alot got on Paige's pants and then there was coffee on the food tray, and the seat!  Paige was very apologetic, but I assured her I was OK, and really it was better to have happened the last hour of the flight rather than at the beginning of the trip!

We finally landed in Sydney, AU at about 8:48 a.m. local time - after a journey of nearly 28-29 hours.  Ugh!  We had a little trouble navigating our way out of the airport but the staff at the airport were friendly and helped steer us in the right direction.  We have arrived at last!