December 30, 2021 Journey to Mexico

“Daddy, it’s time to wake up.” My daughter’s voice broke through the haze of sleep.

I rolled over and looked at the clock. “2:55”

“Oh, honey, wow. I guess so. You’re up early.” I looked toward the bedroom door, but she was gone.

I rolled back over and looked at my wife who was snuggled up tightly with Snowbee the cat. “Good morning babe, are you ready for this?”

“Umm ya, but it’s kinda early don’t you think?” Krista looked back at me and then the clock. “I thought we were getting up at 3:30?”

“Marijke is excited I guess…” I replied as I rolled over and snuggled in with my wife and her feline companion.

Our plane was scheduled to leave at 6:00 am and we had to get to the airport. We were doing the unthinkable; we were flying to sunny Mexico for New years and to celebrate my daughter’s sixteenth birthday.

When I booked the trip in June of this year I never thought that we would still be living in the shadows of the coronavirus. Vaccines were being rolled out, I had my first dose and was waiting for my second. By New Year enough people would have been vaccinated for Covid that we would no longer need to wear masks, or have to take a covid test to return to Canada.

How wrong I was…

Yet here we are on a plane bound for sunshine.

Three inches of snow coated our city as we left for the airport. It’s strange how every time we have left for a plane or a big trip the last leaving always seems to take an extra fifteen minutes or more. Leaving this time was no different. The last thing we almost forgot was the pesos I had given my daughter for Christmas. I was glad she remembered them.

With all the fresh snow on the ground, I was pretty sure that the flight would be delayed. But why take the chance?

At 4:25 in the morning, we said goodbye to our kitties and set out on the road to the airport.

It was a slippery drive with the plows not even having been on our street. We sure love our Subaru, at that moment even more than most.

On the way to the airport, the roads were quiet and I felt rising anticipation and anxiety. Would we make it on time? Did we forget anything? Was the plane going to get us to Vancouver in time for our connecting flight? So many thoughts, and so many nerves, I felt like I had never traveled before.

At 4:55 we arrived at the airport, plenty of time to get on the plane that was scheduled to depart at 6:00 am.

Or so I thought.

We walked into the departures door of Kelowna International Airport and were stunned at what we saw.

“Holy shit…” I gasped as I looked. The line for security stretched to left as far as I could see.

“You’re gonna say that a couple more times,” came a stranger’s voice, “it keeps going.”

Sure enough, I said holy shit and a few other choice words before we reached the end of the line. There was the longest line I had ever seen that stretched halfway through the airport all the way to the Westjet desk that houses the luggage check-in kiosk.

I had no idea so many people would be traveling at the same time. I am still amazed they would schedule three departing flights for six o’clock in the morning.

We stood at the end of the line and the lady from Canada border services asked to see our boarding passes.

“Wow that is a huge line,” I commented to the women in uniform.

“It’s like this every morning,” she responded.

I just shook my head as the number of people kept surging into the airport. The line to check bags was fairly long as well, but nothing like the line to get into security.

“Should I check a bag?” I looked at my wife and our luggage, we were pushing it with the carry-on that we had. I knew I was being cheap by not checking the bags, but I also knew how much better it was to travel with just carry-on. You never have to worry about lost bags.

I felt anxiety course through my veins as we waited in the long line. I am not good with lines at the best of times. But standing there in the long line of people, I felt a sense of panic. Worst-case scenarios played out inside my active brain. What if they make me check a bag? What if we don’t make the plane? I did my best to put down the thoughts of mishap and maintain composure for my girls.

They were doing much better than I was.

At 5:45 we reached the baggage check for security. I began to calm down, but then it was time to organize our liquids. Apparently, they have a maximum amount you can bring and they all have to fit into the nav-can sized bag they provided. My big zip-lock bag was a bit too big.

While we were getting organized the lady in front of us was in a panic. She couldn’t find her boarding pass, even though she had it to get into the line. They told her she would have to go back and get another one. She would have to face the line all over again and get on a later flight. I felt comfort and sympathy watching her go through her angst. My bit of anxiety was nothing compared to what she was going through.

We rushed to the door and they let us on the plane with no issues. We maneuvered to our seats in the cramped walkway of the plane, we were seated in row 13, lucky 13… The overhead bins were pretty full and we struggled to find a place for all our carry-on. Just when I wondered what we would do the nice man in the row in front of my wife offered to put her bag under his seat.

The world isn’t that screwed up after all. There are still very good people in it.

We got in our seats, the first leg of our journey about to begin.

And sat.

And sat.

“This is your captain speaking, we will be taking off a little late this morning, we have to de-ice the plane and then taxi to the runway.” The out-of-body voice echoed through the cabin.

The plane shuddered to life as the propellers began to turn. After an agonizing wait, we were off, my anxiety level was down, but I still felt my stomach do spins as we taxied to the end of the runway.

“This is your captain again. I am sorry to let you know but Air Traffic control in Vancouver has asked us to delay our departure until eight minutes after the hour. There was a snowstorm in Vancouver and they are trying to get things cleared up.” The voice came through the cabin again.

I looked at my phone and saw the time”6:35” it would be a long thirty minutes.

It didn’t take as long as I thought.

With a roar, the engines sprang to life, and we started to move down the runway. The way the plane shook as we lifted off the ground I was amazed at the technology that enables thousands of tons of metal to soar to thirty-thousand feet.

Our next flight was scheduled for 8:50 and we would have about forty minutes to make the transfer. It was at that time I was glad we had our bags with us. We knew that our luggage would make the final destination that way.

Blood pulsed through me as we made the long trek from gate B to Gate D in the Vancouver Airport. I felt my nerves ease as we approached the boarding gate. Even though the board said we were departing at 8:50 they told us it would be 9:10. At 10;00 our boing 737 lifted off from the snow-covered tarmac of YVR and we were on our way.

With every mile, I felt less angst and more excitement. We should be on the beach by supper time.

I am confident everything will be ok – I hope there is a rental car waiting,… I hope they don’t overcharge us too much…

Our first trip in the coronaverse to the sunny climes of Mexico has begun.