Never a dull day

Worst Flying Experience Ever
Cole and I flew to the States for a week. This is not something new, we do this a few times a year, so we are fairly prepared now for these long flights. Before we left, we downloaded a bunch of shows and movies for the long flights and layovers. We had our 1 blanket to share while we dozed and watched our movies.....we were ready!

Starting from the top:

• Go through security and wait for the plane (laptop out of bag, shoes off...)
• First plane was delayed
• (Panama City airport is a little goofy when flying between domestic and international flights.) We land at the airport
• Catch a bus from the airfield to the domestic part of the airport
• Run outside of the airport to enter inside at the main international part
• Go through the immigration checkpoint
• Rush through the security checkpoint (laptop out of bag, shoes off...)
• Find out that they have re-numbered all of the gates by 100 numbers, find our gate
• Go through security again (laptop out of bag, shoes off....)
• Load on airplane just in time
• Do not get to sit by each other, they had changed planes and we lost our seats together
• Beg the people we are sitting near to switch with us, but no one will
• Sit on the runway for 2 hours
• Lightning storm can now be seen out of the windows
• Finally fly 7 hours to Denver, Colorado (swapping our 1 laptop with movies and shows after each of us watched an episode)
• Get to Denver, where I miss my connection. However, Cole was flying to see other family members on a different flight for a few days, so I have to give up my luggage so that I can run him to his gate.
• Go through immigration
• Go through security (laptop out of bag, shoes off....)
• He makes it with 15 minutes to spare
• I then wait 5 hours for the vouchers from the airline for hotel and food
• Get to the hotel to find out that the restaurant is closed and there is no food available
• I have no clean clothes or luggage or food and it is now almost midnight
• Restaurant is not open before I leave on my shuttle for new morning flight
• Finally arrive in California after over 32 hours of traveling 

After a day in California, my sinuses and ear start hurting. By the 2nd day it was so bad, I went to an urgent care. Turns out that I had a bad ear infection and blew my eardrum, along with a possible sinus infection. I was miserable for awhile. :(

The return trip was just as bad!

• Get to airport early in the morning, verify we still have seats together (even though I had called to verify 2 days earlier)
• Find out that we had a new plane at our connection and would have to have a long layover in San Francisco because we now will be taking the red-eye
• So long of a layover, that they would not check our bags all the way through. We would fly to San Francisco from Palm Springs and pick up our bags
• Flight went smoothly to San Francisco, but after picking our bags, we realized there were no agents for us to re-check the bags for another 9 hours!
• Cole and I are stuck outside of security for the 9 hours with only a small food court and 200 pounds of luggage
• Thankfully, we found a booth with electricity and we sat there and watched the movies that we did not get to see at the beginning of our trip.
• Finally, check our bags in at the counter and get ready for the red-eye flight..Which was delayed in boarding
• We could see the plane sitting there for over an hour before it moved the 100 feet to the Jetway and boarding finally started
• Then delayed a little bit more....
• Finally fly to Panama City
• We are late, so we start our mad dash again!
• Get off the plane
• Run through the airport to immigration
• Pass through immigration and exit airport
• Run to the domestic area and go through security
• Last ones to board the bus to take us behind the airport to our plane....
• We were tired, cranky and very ready to be home!

Brothers
I love when Cole and Erik get a chance to see each other. They are not only brothers, but good friends. We all got together at the Star Wars themed party that Erik was hosting, where yes I wore a Princess Leia wig for a while, even though I felt miserable most of the time with my sinuses and ear issues.

​There was lightsaber fighting, eating cake with black frosting (that did not go away for hours!) and we even had some hot springs-pool time. Cole and Erik could not be more different and they make the most awesome brothers!

Flowers not Bugs
​Orchids grow on ALL of the trees here. I keep forgetting to look up and see them, but Rick took a picture of one of the orchids and Melvin took some pictures of the flowers in the front of the house.....seemed like a good day for flower pictures and not bugs this time. :)

I had to go back to the doctor here in Panama to get another round of antibiotics for the ear/sinuses that are still not better, but everything else is back to normal now.

It is good to be home!