You know it’s back to reality when the alarm rings, and there’s so much to clear and unpack upon waking up. I was in denial over the weekend upon returning from Bali, even going for a movie, before I tackled the things left in the bags or scattered in the house.
Well, no more trips for the time being. I need to get back to my routine. Speaking of it, I’m not too sure about my golf game as I have gone a month without playing. We will see when I tee off on Thursday morning. Perhaps I better prepare with more golf balls in the bag.
I woke up at 3.44am, a minute before the alarm rang. The body knows when the situation calls for it. Our pick-up arrived on time, and the journey to the airport was long enough to nap a little for the loss of sleep.
Every step of the way, it was pleasant to start the trip well! And before we knew it, we were boarding! That’s when the hiccups started. Instead of departing as scheduled at 9.05am, the plane pushed off at 9.38am and took off only at 9.55am. A good solid 50 minutes late! Hmm.
Happy travelers!
I was so glad the first meal was served an hour after take-off because I was ravenous! The Airbus A350-900 seating configuration was a three-three-three in the economy section and comfortable enough for us small-sized people. But the comfort level may not be so for a larger built or bigger-sized passenger.
Breakfast on board
Anyway, I watched two movies and slept whenever I could; likewise, hubby and the girls too to pass the time. I lost track of time, and suddenly, the aircraft was descending! Oh yay! We are almost there.
We touched down at 3.22pm local time despite departing 50 minutes late. That’s good. Immigration clearance was smooth, but baggage claim took a little longer. So yay, here we are in London!
Today’s the day! We left in the wee hours of the morning. It’s been ages since I last woke up so early, and my usual 5.30 am wake-up for golf pales compared to this ungodly hour. I might as well not sleep and get ready for the airport straightaway.
It will be a long day ahead with our direct flight. I have forgotten what it’s like to be on a long-haul flight. And this journey will take 14 hours and 20 minutes, a little longer than the last time we flew to Amsterdam. Oh boy, my butt and body.
Separately, I’m a little bummed that my Move, Exercise, and Stand activities will be disrupted, thus ending my long record of 1,053 days in the Fitness app on my AppleWatch. Oh well, it is for a good reason; we are off to England, sadly not to see the Queen (God bless her soul) but the new King!
The first thing I earmarked for the impending trip was my Blundstone boots! It’s been three years since they last saw some serious action, having gone to the US for M1’s graduation. But as I was unboxing my boots from the shoe cabinet, I found another pair of boots!
Uh-huh, my Blunnies have a rival in the calf-high boots. I have forgotten about this pair because it’s an impractical pair of boots for hot and humid holidays that I mostly do pre-pandemic time. However, for this upcoming trip, calf-high boots might be suitable. Hmm.
I like wearing the Blundstones to travel because they are super comfortable for walking (even after re-soled), but calf-high boots may be good to ward off the cold! There’s still space in the luggage, and I can always do the last-minute packing. We’ll see how it goes.
After months of planning, we will be traveling soon! I have mixed feelings about the journey because of the traveling hours but not so much of the destination. Despite the relaxation of Covid precautions for travel in most countries, I’m not sure I want to be on a plane without a mask. We shall see. After all, it is for our safety and to start the holiday on a healthy note.
So it’s time to pack and get the mindset ready for the impending trip! Stay tuned to follow our adventures.
I have always flown into Singapore via Changi Airport. However, for this trip, I flew in via Seletar Airport. And what a pleasant surprise it was! There was no crowd, no queue, and no delays at all.
I chose to fly from Subang Airport instead of KLIA as it’s more convenient. Subang and Seletar airports are smaller compared to the two main big airports. And Changi is world renowned as a destination by itself. But being smaller, certain perks are missing, like buying duty-free things. Oh well, this is not critical.
The trip ended too soon, and the weather was not kind during our return flight. As the plane descended, we experienced turbulence going through the clouds. It has been quite a while since I flew, so the nauseous feeling was just ugh.
Leaving Seletar Airport
Thankfully, the journey was not too long, and we arrived safely. Rain greeted us, and traffic built up on the way home. Not the best welcome home situation, but it’s nice to be home after an enjoyable getaway.
I cannot stress enough how fast time flies. Our M2 has completed her Bachelor’s degree and is coming home from Ireland today! Woohoo. Yes, we are excited.
After almost eight years of being three, then two, and then three again, we will be back to being a family of four at the stroke of midnight. Suddenly, all those years of hard work and separation are no longer an issue and seemed like a long time ago. We persevered in our situation, and both girls persevered in their education. They make us proud beyond words.
As always, I will be tracking the journey on flightaware.com in anticipation of her return. Oooohhhhh, be still my beating heart! I look forward to doing things and having both my girls around again. I’m anxious and will be so fidgety awaiting her safe arrival tonight.
We did not play golf over the weekend; instead, we went fishing! The last time we did this was probably almost three decades years ago. Gosh, it has been a long time.
The idea to go fishing came about when the family got together over dinner and talked about doing outdoor activities. And since fishing is an activity M1 and my niece never did, why not let them try? A check off the bucket list for them.
The drive took forever. “Are we there yet?” I asked. Hahaha. It was a catch and release fishing pond near the airport, KLIA. The operator guaranteed five strikes per rod for the hour or your money back! Wow, how good is that?
The catch and release fishing pond
So my sibling, niece, and the three of us spent the late Sunday afternoon fishing. And we had such an exuberating time!
Getting ready for some action
Within minutes, strike one occurred, followed by another, and another! We had two rods, and the girls were delightfully having a blast. We adults could not resist the adrenaline rush and joined in the fun in the end. Why not? The day’s fishing haul made the activity look so easy and appealing.
Look at their impressive haul!
I must say my fishing record was never impressive. My biggest catch was a grass carp which was nothing of these massive-sized groupers in comparison.
Our haul and the inside of a grouper’s mouth!
Within the allotted time, the five of us caught 17 groupers! And we had several that escaped because we did not reel in fast enough. It could have been more, but 17 bites were more than what we anticipated.
The unexpected adventure turned out to be an exhilarating experience for everyone. The day was cloudy, the place was peaceful, and everyone had a very satisfying but tiring workout fighting the catch. Will we do it again? We may, but with the other young adults in the family who have not had this checked off their bucket list.
It was the beginning of Summer when M2 came home, and it was great. With the lockdown imposed, we felt safe in our bubble at home. Then M1 returned from the US not too long ago, and we were complete.
But just when we are comfortable with both girls being home after being empty nesters for some time, the situation has changed again. The Summer holiday has ended for M2, and she has to return to college. Within a short time, we gain one and lose one.
M2’s Summer vacation is officially over, and yesterday, she flew back to Ireland. I’m tracking her journey at flightaware.com as she is still flying when this post is published. I only hope she will be on time to arrive, unlike when M1 returned.
Sending M2 off at KLIA
During this pandemic, every country has its safety measures for international travelers. Although Ireland’s SOP is very different from the one imposed in our country, M2 must self-isolate even though fully vaccinated upon arrival. Rules are rules, and they should be abided by to stay safe.
Here’s wishing her all the best for the Fall semester ahead, and stay safe!
After six and a half years and two degrees later, our M1 is finally coming home. We are, of course, thrilled with her decision. There was quite a fair bit of anxiety for her trying to book her flight home because of the pandemic.
She had two previous bookings canceled by the airlines because of limited flights and transiting countries having strict regulations to deal with the pandemic. What was supposed to be an 18-hour one-stopover journey became a two-stopover and much more than that. Way much more.
The two-stopover flight with Air Canada did not go as planned! The delayed first leg of the journey caused her to miss her connecting flight to Narita Airport for the second leg. Dear, oh dear. And she could not wait for the next available flight out with the same airline as the Covid-19 test would become invalid after 72 hours from testing. Throw in the immigration restrictions of no more than 24 hours for transit.
It’s so stressful to add to the anxiety dealing with new issues like flight timing, and immigration, on top of health.
Thankfully, she found an alternative airline for the same day, but the journey is longer. Oh well, an extended flight is better than being unable to return at all. With cases on the uptrend again, there isn’t much choice. I will be tracking her path on flightaware.com as always. We have to wait another day until she arrives.
Angieneering 
Remarks