Two thirds into our trip back to America, Dave and I lay wide awake at 3:00 am. We were camped out in an unplanned stay at a Travelodge already having traveled across the ocean and longing to officially ARRIVE at our final destination. As both of us were half laughing/sighing as we processed our trip thus far, I couldn't help but find some semblance of an analogy:
"I feel like we are running the Amazing Race...with a baby."
The moment I made the connection, everything we had gone through over the course of the previous day and a half started transforming into "Roadblocks", "U-turns", "Speed bumps", "Detours", "Pit stops"...all the lingo they use on the show! I just couldn't help myself. Only God can use this humorous connection to begin healing my frazzled, exhausted, overemotional heart.
If you're not familiar with the show Amazing Race, I apologize if my connections are confusing. Just ignore the references, and laugh about the misfortunes all on their own! The host of the show, Phil Keoghan, will be helping to share this story, so just imagine his New Zealand accent with everything in italics.
On this leg of the race, teams will depart from Shenyang, China and make their way to the United States via stops in Beijing, China and Newark, NJ. The first group to depart is Team Evans at 6:30 am. Team Wheeler, Betts and Evans were all on the first flight out, ahead of the other teams.
At this point, if we were on the show we would have looked like those perky backpacker types all jumping up and down just ready for the adventure. We felt fresh, were showered, and had huge smiles.
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Once teams landed in Beijing, the Evans were sent through a U-turn and were required to go BACK to baggage claim, recheck their luggage and get ready for their international flight. Little did they know they would be U-turned again and recheck their luggage upon arriving in the States.
On this detour, at the half way mark of the 12 hour flight, teams will be required to take turns soothing a screaming baby. In order to perform this detour successfully, teams must try out at least 3 of the given props (finger puppets, Ergo baby carrier, baby books, finger foods, airplane barf bags and your own singing voice) to help calm the child. When the head stewardess sees that you have attempted your best efforts at not waking the entire cabin, she will hand you your next clue.
Syracuse, New York is the Pit stop for this leg of the race. However, in this roadblock, teams will be required to brainstorm how to get to the pit stop most efficiently after discovering that their 9:00 pm flight out of Newark, NJ has been canceled. Teams may choose to stay in a hotel, rent a car, or take the next flight out at 4:30 pm the next day. None of this will be covered or reimbursed by the airlines, so teams will need to be creative in how to fund their decision.
For this speed bump, all teams that chose the rental car option will find that only 1 of the 5 rental car options will have cars left. This may or may not add an extra hour to their journey. The only cars that will be in their affordable price range will be slightly bigger than a mini cooper. All teams needing anything like a car seat will be extra squished ;).
After having already traveled 24 hours with a fussy baby, I wish had an EXPRESS PASS so I could just skip all of this and get there already! But alas...there is more left to this "leg of the race". If I had a camera in my face at this point like the true reality show, I would be that girl sobbing and crying looking like the world is over. Just picture it: I'm in the back seat of this tiny rental car at 11:00 pm sitting on my legs because of no space, crying: "I'm...just...so...tired!" "Now my legs are all squished, and we have to sit in a car for four hours, and you're going to fall asleep...we're going to die!"I have discovered something: Exhaustion makes me look like a child. So glad there was no camera in my face. I'm glad the world doesn't define my identity by my one fleeting moment of weariness. But back to the story...
As all the other teams wanted to save their money, they chose to risk waiting for the free flight at 4:30 the next day. Team Evans decided to take the rental car + hotel option and rest for the night at a Travelodge to drive fresh and awake the next morning. They enjoyed a complimentary breakfast and were on their way the next morning at 8:00.
Picture our little family at this pit stop. And the cool thing was that Dave's mom was waiting for us there to help take us to our final destination (2 more hours in the car). I can just hear Phil say "As the winners of this leg of the race, you have each won a free vacation to the Adirondacks. There you will stay directly on the lake with boats to use, trails to hike, and screened in porches to nap in!"
As I type this, I realize that it really wasn't THAT big of a deal. But everything with a baby feels 10X more intense (at least I think so), so it felt like our journey lasted a lifetime. We were able to rest in the Adirondacks for 2-3 days but then we are back in the car for a 10 hour journey to Michigan for my cousin's wedding! Crazy to be traveling again, but looking forward to seeing family!
Richardson/Spoelma/Chase family, you are our next "leg of the race"!
