Welcome friends to the much awaited sequel of my mega journey across the Americas to Asia. It was my first long peregrination with my baby much to the chagrin of my close friends. They had warned me of the perils that lay in store. Their warning was writ in black and white; I definitely had to be a glorified fool to be undertaking such a risky sojourn. Alas my mind ventured sky driving would be less risky than this misadventure. Yet my bubbling spirit egged me on, I had to try my luck and prove everyone wrong. So there I was staring at two mega suitcases, a carry on box, back pack, diaper bag, stroller, baby and praying wishfully to the lord. My mind was automatically flipping through the check lists, making notes, remembering the nooks and crannies of every tiny bit of details. I could be a super computer at this or maybe I was just a nervous wreck.
My husband stood next to rubbles I had created and smiled at me like never before. Maybe this would not be as bad as I had visualized. Packing my little one into her car seat we set out on a long 2.5 hr drive to the Airport. Everything seemed to be going as per plan. With my husband firmly by my side we breezed through the baggage check in. Hours went by in peaceful harmony and just as I was beginning to lapse into a beautiful daydream, it was time for the goodbyes. From this point on I was on my own.
Staring at my bags, baby and security check point all my enthusiasm wore down. I looked for the exits to no avail. So I diffidently proceeded forward. Passing through the security check point without much ado I looked for the departure gate and hurried on like my life depended on this. The wait was excruciating but at least my baby was fast asleep. Just as I launching into a yawn, the announcement came to begin the boarding. Startled and zealous I struggled forward with all my trappings. I looked around hoping for some friendly faces and all I could see was over anxious passengers and crew.
I realized I was definitely on my own now. In times of crisis its amazing how ambidextrous one can be. I was definitely a clown at the circus. I was juggling the baby, stroller and bags in what seemed like a herculean task to reach the flight. This was just the beginning. There was no time to even settle down lest the baby gets hungry. As I was fishing through the diaper bag, the flight attended brought a bag to me that vaguely resembled a shopping basket. This was what they called a bassinet (Baby bed) I shook my head in utter shock and disbelief. There was no way my baby would sleep in this let alone sit. As I began expressing my doubts the bassinet was taken away. Little did I know of the blunder I had committed mid air.
As the plane took off, my little one settled on me and slept. There I was already worn down by the baggage that my hand scarcely obliged. I looked around frantically for the flight attendant to ask for the shopping basket. Alas he had vanished into thin air. Minutes passed into hours and still there was no one in sight. Everyone on the flight lapsed into a peaceful slumber and there I was painfully glancing at my hands. My SOS call was finally answered after a two hour wait. Without further ado I popped my little princess into the shopping cart/bassinet. She just fit into it. There was no space to turn. My baby was famous for her 360 degree turns in her crib. How in the world would she manage in that enclosure? Miraculously she did, worn out as she was, she slept peacefully and I knew I was blessed.
I did count my blessings too soon for I realized that help was always late to reach. I felt like a lone rider in a humungous plane. Fending for myself and my baby I performed multiple tasks much to my amazement. Picking my baby, feeding her, entertaining her and all at once eating became second nature to me. In fact my baby would tag along with me for all my bathroom visits .It’s amazing how a little creativity can go a long way. The thirteen hour journey felt like a lifetime. I had learnt new tricks and became accomplished at multi tasking. As the flight landed I looked at my baby and flushed. I came to realize that when we step out of our comfort zone, life takes unexpected turns, and we turn out viewing things differently. I boarded the flight thinking that I would be treated special and realized that I was just a face in the crowd. Sometimes you just have to fight your battles alone which might not be that bad after all!
