Last Friday we had an adventurous day! We flew to our new home. I have to admit both my husband and I were a bit worried about how the kids would deal with the packing of our home and then the traveling part. You see last week marked a milestone in our family, movers came to our home and packed everything into a moving truck to take to the port and ship to Costa Rica. We won't see any of those items for at least 4 weeks, so the kids had to choose enough toys, books and personal items that fit in a carry-on.
We've taken several trips in the past in which we flew to our destination however all of them were less than a 2 hour flight each way and we weren't moving, it was just a vacation. In addition we did not have 10 suitcases to check-in as we did this time around. Nonetheless we were excited and happy with the plans.
Our day began at 5 am when we got up and ready for our flight. By 5:45 am we were out the door and on our way to the airport.
Check-in was surprisingly a breeze! With all our luggage, the kids, in addition to our last travel experience I thought it would be a tough one. Our 3 year old has matured so much in the past month I keep getting surprised with how patient he has started to be. Our 7 year old has also been matured in the sense that she is more helpful and this in all honesty makes life easier.
We had a layover in Dallas, 2 hours between flights which allowed us to walk around and eat. Beautiful airport and larger than I had expected. This sign caught my attention, specially since the TVs around the terminal was showing a tornado alert for Oklahoma. I kept thinking about all the affected areas and hoping that they would be safe.
Each child had a carry-on suitcase the kind that can also be used as backpacks, they were in charge of that and moving it from point A to point B. I had a full backpack with snacks, a change of clothes per child in addition to some reading material for me and my handbag. My husband had his backpack and after thinking about it for a long time we decided to take the carseat with us on board which he was in charge of. We choose to take the carseat for the toddler because it would make it more comfortable for him, he would be able to sleep on flight comfortably and he would be relaxed the whole time. Believe it helped so much, he was comfortable and felt secure, he took a short nap on the second flight.
We had a layover in Dallas, 2 hours between flights which allowed us to walk around and eat. Beautiful airport and larger than I had expected. This sign caught my attention, specially since the TVs around the terminal was showing a tornado alert for Oklahoma. I kept thinking about all the affected areas and hoping that they would be safe.
Our travel went pretty good, the only little issue we had was the last 30 minutes of our flight from Dallas to Costa Rica. While landing both kids had pressure in their ears and our 3 year old couldn't stop crying. Everyone around us was very understanding and when we had finally landed and arrived at gate they shared stories about their children going through the same when they were younger.
When we arrived in Costa Rica it was raining, it had been raining for a while and it was already dark. Did you know that they only have sunlight from 5 a.m. - 6 p.m., regardless of the season? I didn't.
Getting our luggage was lots of fun, not only due to the amount but also because everything was at the same place! so you had not only 1 but 2 flights waiting for luggage and then we found out that there is a separate place to pickup odd shaped packages. In this place is where my MAC, stroller, carseat would be. I have to admit I was a bit panicky when I didn't see my computer arrive... Then I was told to try the other carrousel glad I did! :D
Clearing through Immigration and Customs was easy too, you fill out the forms onboard the plane and have them readily on hand for when you get off the plane. Every country has their own rules and laws just like the U.S. so it is always important to abide by the laws and respect them as you would in your own country.
In a nutshell this was our travel day, we were finally settled into our hotel at around 10 p.m. and ordering room service so the kids could get their baths and relax before bedtime. All in all we feel it was an easy move and travel.
Glad to be here and ready to begin our "Pura Vida" {Pure Life} lifestyle!
