Thank you for the vouchers, but I'm experiencing PTTSD
Dear airline,
Thank you for the vouchers to be used on a later flight this year, but I'm currently experiencing Post Travel with Toddlers Stress Disorder.
It was a foggy morning like most mornings in San Francisco. However, I was riding a cloud of vacation bliss. We woke up with plenty of time to make it through the winding hills. I wanted some extra time to stop just in case my son got sick to his stomach like he did on the way to our vacation destination. While I was impressed with my ability to catch toddler throw-up with my bare hands, I was in no hurry to re-create this athletic parenting feat.
We made it to the rental car place and smoothly and quickly turned in our keys. This was different than when I picked up the vehicle. At that time, I waited in line for an hour and a half while my husband corraled our two toddlers. I waited for what seemed to be an eternity despite the fact I had pre-ordered the vehicle online. As the line snaked longer and longer and numerous computers sat employee-less, we were told they were on break. But the check-out process was in the past and the turn-in process was a snap!
As we were riding on the train around the airport I even had this thought about how maybe we should travel more with the kids. Sure the travel there was a bit rocky. I mean the flight attendant actually said, "surely your ears don't hurt already?" to our 1.5-year-old as she screamed bloody murder before take-off. I still am unclear whether she expected the toddler or me to answer. OR, maybe she was just casually suggesting that even she was not amused by the tot's behavior. I do not blame her. Regardless, all those negative feelings had been erased by the amazing time we just had with family in one of the most gorgeous places I'd ever been.
So here I am thinking about how life could not be more fabulous when we arrived at the check-in counter and a man who seemed to work for the airport and not the airline said, "oh, you were on the canceled flight, weren't you?" Um, beg your pardon? Canceled? I believe "delayed" is the word you're searching for? He did, indeed, mean canceled. The airline worker informed us that we would be able to get on the flight leaving in 10 hours and would arrive in Minnesota at 4 a.m. He then told us we would not be able to store our luggage anywhere. We had two giant suitcases, two huge car seats, two sleepy toddlers, one purse, three backpacks, one stroller and two defeated parents.
A low point was my toddler screaming at the top of her lungs for about 27 minutes straight in the middle of an airport terminal. We got a lot of looks. When it became clear she would not allow me to distract or comfort her I simply just kept loudly saying, "I'm not happy either." My maturity is on point in these types of situations.
We're fortunate. My mother-in-law works for an airline so my husband was able to fly back a bit earlier with our daughter and check all of our luggage for free. He did, however, miss part of his 20th High School Reunion weekend celebrations. But, if you've met my husband you know he simply said, "whatcha gonna do, that's what happens when you try to pack a lot into a weekend." #OptimistParent.
I must say my son was a dream to fly with because he slept the entire flight, but still, that travel day sucked. My earlier idyllic visions of traveling with toddlers were now replaced with the memory of shrill screams. Now, when I thought about a future trip I actually laughed out loud in a maniacal way that seems to come with parental exhaustion.
It was at that moment that an airline worker handed me vouchers for a future flight.
I haven't looked at them since. Can't. The PTTSD is still too strong.
Sincerely,
A mom
Thank you for the vouchers to be used on a later flight this year, but I'm currently experiencing Post Travel with Toddlers Stress Disorder.
It was a foggy morning like most mornings in San Francisco. However, I was riding a cloud of vacation bliss. We woke up with plenty of time to make it through the winding hills. I wanted some extra time to stop just in case my son got sick to his stomach like he did on the way to our vacation destination. While I was impressed with my ability to catch toddler throw-up with my bare hands, I was in no hurry to re-create this athletic parenting feat.
We made it to the rental car place and smoothly and quickly turned in our keys. This was different than when I picked up the vehicle. At that time, I waited in line for an hour and a half while my husband corraled our two toddlers. I waited for what seemed to be an eternity despite the fact I had pre-ordered the vehicle online. As the line snaked longer and longer and numerous computers sat employee-less, we were told they were on break. But the check-out process was in the past and the turn-in process was a snap!
As we were riding on the train around the airport I even had this thought about how maybe we should travel more with the kids. Sure the travel there was a bit rocky. I mean the flight attendant actually said, "surely your ears don't hurt already?" to our 1.5-year-old as she screamed bloody murder before take-off. I still am unclear whether she expected the toddler or me to answer. OR, maybe she was just casually suggesting that even she was not amused by the tot's behavior. I do not blame her. Regardless, all those negative feelings had been erased by the amazing time we just had with family in one of the most gorgeous places I'd ever been.
A low point was my toddler screaming at the top of her lungs for about 27 minutes straight in the middle of an airport terminal. We got a lot of looks. When it became clear she would not allow me to distract or comfort her I simply just kept loudly saying, "I'm not happy either." My maturity is on point in these types of situations.
We're fortunate. My mother-in-law works for an airline so my husband was able to fly back a bit earlier with our daughter and check all of our luggage for free. He did, however, miss part of his 20th High School Reunion weekend celebrations. But, if you've met my husband you know he simply said, "whatcha gonna do, that's what happens when you try to pack a lot into a weekend." #OptimistParent.
I must say my son was a dream to fly with because he slept the entire flight, but still, that travel day sucked. My earlier idyllic visions of traveling with toddlers were now replaced with the memory of shrill screams. Now, when I thought about a future trip I actually laughed out loud in a maniacal way that seems to come with parental exhaustion.
It was at that moment that an airline worker handed me vouchers for a future flight.
I haven't looked at them since. Can't. The PTTSD is still too strong.
Sincerely,
A mom
