Space-A Adventures

Early in March Samantha, Natalie, and I decided to try and get back to the States on a Space A flight. That basically means flying standby on a military flight. There are three flights a week from our base here in Germany to Baltimore and Baltimore is close to family and friends. Everyone I spoke to me told me that it should be pretty easy to get seats on any flight from Germany to Baltimore; coming back is where there's a bit of a gamble. Because if we could not get on a plane the girls and I would have to stay at a hotel and try for a flight another day. Thankfully we were able to get out to Baltimore the first time we tried and coming home was just as easy!

The nice thing about this particular route (Ramstein to BWI) is that instead of a big military cargo plane we were able to fly on a chartered commercial airliner. That means there were movies, meals, flight attendants, and all the other good things that I am used to on an airplane. The other nice thing is the baggage allowance; two checked bags per passenger and two carryon items. And after flying Ryan Air (a European airline with really strict and stingy baggage allowances) that was wonderful. Oh, and three round trip tickets for $130 isn't so bad either!

The military doesn't just have these flights so people like me can go where they want to, they are really used to move official duty passengers like troops deploying to and from the desert and families who are PCSing (moving from one base to another). Whatever seats are left over are filled by people like me. When we got to the terminal they announced 52 available seats. Looking around there were way more than 52 people waiting and I figured there was no way we were getting on the flight. But we did and that's when the fun really started.

Unfortunately the line for security was forever long; we were waiting to be screened for 45 minutes. A nice Major in front of us helped me with the coats and backpacks while I kept the kids wrangled. I brought bubbles and was blowing bubbles almost the entire time to keep the girls entertained. Of course our bubbles were promptly confiscated when we eventually made it to security because they were much bigger than 3 ounces and were not in a quart sized Ziploc bag! But the bubbles served their purpose and I'm glad I thought to pack them.



Natalie loved playing in this round window while

we waited in the line for security


When we got on the completely full plane (yes, they filled all the seats!) I learned that Samantha, Natalie, and I were not seated together. While I wouldn't mind someone else dealing with my kids during a 9 hour flight, I think the girls might have not been so happy to sit by a stranger. I suppose on a regular flight a flight attendant would have quietly asked some of my fellow passengers if they might be willing to move so I could sit with my kids. I asked a flight attendant if he could help me find three seats together and he directed me to a Lt. Colonel across the aisle. This flight was filled with 200+ soldiers returning home from a year in Afghanistan and the Lt. Col was the guy in charge. He stood up on a seat and shouted, "I have a military spouse here and her two children they need three seats together. This could be your wife and kids traveling alone. Who is willing to move so they can sit together?" Three guys got up right away and each too one of our three single seats; it was the craziest thing and one reason why I love being part of the military family.

The day we were trying to fly out of here Samantha woke up with a runny nose and fever. Poor Sam is miserable when she is sick and I wasn't looking forward to flying with a little sickie. I packed Benadryl and Motrin and dosed Samantha right after we got through security; she was asleep before the plane took off. I was grateful to the nice airman next to Samantha who was so great about her leaning and probably drooling on him while she slept the flight away. Natalie was so excited to be flying and would not stop moving and talking. She was chattering away to all the people around us and was very interested in the safety briefing before we took off. She really wanted to land in water so we could go down the big yellow slides that turn into boats! For the next twenty minutes while we waited for tower clearance and were taxiing she kept asking, "Are we flying yet? Are we in the air?" After about four hours she FINALLY fell asleep and the people around us were spared from her constant talking and all I had to do was wait for the plane to land!



Natalie still going strong about three hours in

Thankfully when we did land Samantha felt 100% better and both Natalie and Samantha were excited to find our suitcases and their grandma!

Matching outfits so if I lost one I could say - She looks like this only bigger/smaller/with red or blonde hair.

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