Yesterday Jack told me he was not traveling to Australia unless we went first or business class. He was very adamant about it. I tried explaining that the flight is extremely expensive.
He still insisted.
I told him this probably meant we wouldn't be able to go to Australia.
He didn't budge.
Now I could have declared my parental authority at this point. But I didn't. I just kind of sighed and accepted my fate.
The plane ride IS awful. I can' t deny that. I wouldn't want to put Jack through all that if he really hates it that much.
I figured we might never go to Australia again; or at least not in the next several years.
I felt a bit sad and empty after the conversation. But I didn't completely despair. I figured there was hope he'd change his mind. If not, I could be an armchair traveler to Australia. That's kind of okay. Maybe.
Then today Tim announced if we got a lot of money, he wants to buy a blow up TV screen for the pool.
I told him we have to save our money to buy plane tickets. I explained what Jack had said.
I'm sorry. Maybe I'm being a bit selfish here. I can handle the idea that financial restraints, and my child's level-of-comfort needs, might prevent me from going to the place I love. But I am not sacrificing Australia for a damn blow-up TV. What is it with men and their TVs??? Am I being sexist? Sorry.
Anyway, to Tim's defense....he didn't argue with me about it.
Jack was in the room and he spoke up.
It turns out I had misheard (or misunderstood) Jack. What he had said is he never want to fly all the way from Los Angeles to Australia in economy class. He's fine doing what we did last time; flying to Hawaii, taking a break, and then flying to Australia.
Well, that's a relief!
I feel much better now.
Honestly, I'm with the kid. I don't want to do fourteen hours in economy ever again. Actually, I don't want to do fourteen hours period. I don't care what class we're in. Fourteen hours is too long to be on a plane. At least I think so.
He still insisted.
I told him this probably meant we wouldn't be able to go to Australia.
He didn't budge.
Now I could have declared my parental authority at this point. But I didn't. I just kind of sighed and accepted my fate.
The plane ride IS awful. I can' t deny that. I wouldn't want to put Jack through all that if he really hates it that much.
I figured we might never go to Australia again; or at least not in the next several years.
I felt a bit sad and empty after the conversation. But I didn't completely despair. I figured there was hope he'd change his mind. If not, I could be an armchair traveler to Australia. That's kind of okay. Maybe.
Then today Tim announced if we got a lot of money, he wants to buy a blow up TV screen for the pool.
I told him we have to save our money to buy plane tickets. I explained what Jack had said.
I'm sorry. Maybe I'm being a bit selfish here. I can handle the idea that financial restraints, and my child's level-of-comfort needs, might prevent me from going to the place I love. But I am not sacrificing Australia for a damn blow-up TV. What is it with men and their TVs??? Am I being sexist? Sorry.
Anyway, to Tim's defense....he didn't argue with me about it.
Jack was in the room and he spoke up.
It turns out I had misheard (or misunderstood) Jack. What he had said is he never want to fly all the way from Los Angeles to Australia in economy class. He's fine doing what we did last time; flying to Hawaii, taking a break, and then flying to Australia.
Well, that's a relief!
I feel much better now.
Honestly, I'm with the kid. I don't want to do fourteen hours in economy ever again. Actually, I don't want to do fourteen hours period. I don't care what class we're in. Fourteen hours is too long to be on a plane. At least I think so.
My poor husband has to fly 14 hours non-stop in economy, going from Houston direct to Tokyo, a couple of times a year. He says it's brutal, but at the same time he's glad it's direct instead of stopping somewhere for four hours and just extending the trip, and the misery, by that much.
ReplyDeleteWhen we went to Japan together in 2007, he had so many frequent flier miles built up that we were able to go first class, which we NEVER could have afforded if we actually had to pay for it. Unfortunately, the airlines make it as challenging as possible to find flights you can use your frequent flier miles on these days....
Amy,
ReplyDeleteHi!
I agree about the four hour layover. I think the airport is almost as bad as the airplane. So I don't think that helps.
What we did is fly to Hawaii. We used points and did it for free. Then we spent two nights in Hawaii. We played tourist. We went to the beach. Then we flew to Sydney. Breaking it up like that was SO nice.
I agree about first class and the points...they make it so hard.
I feel for your husband!!!!
try 17 from Austin to Paris it is a 17 hour flight though i did that when i was 15.
ReplyDeleteHi Dina,
ReplyDeleteSorry i haven't wrote for a while i had exams and have been busy studying.
I know what you mean by long distance flight, i did a 22 hour flight to London with a 1 hour stop over in Singapore (now thats hell especially when you nearly six foot tall) and was dreading the flight back i think i can safely say i will never do that again and if i ever went back to London i would stop over for the night in Singapore or Hong Kong
Cherryblossom: I don't think I'd want to try that! Why is the flight so long? Is it seventeen hours in the air, or are there layovers?
ReplyDeleteMatt: I hope your exams went well! You know we always thought Europe was closer to Australia than America is. Tim and I were surprised when we found out the ride from Australia to London is SO long. I can't imagine being on the plane for so long.
Someone really needs to invent teleportation.
The exams went well, im confident i passed everything, thanks for asking.
ReplyDeleteI think the worst thing was i only got a few hours sleep so was awake most of the flight but teleportation would solve that problem.
A "blow-up TV"? You mean TV with a floatation ring attached? Now that is decadent! Why not just put the normal one on an extension cord and put it on a mobile tray that can be wheeled to the poolside?
ReplyDeleteOr put a paddle-pool in the living-room in front of the TV!
Matt: Congrats on the exams! I don't sleep well on planes either. I end up feeling, looking, and acting like a zombie!
ReplyDeleteRetarius: lol. I like your TV ideas. I am not quite sure what a blow up TV is, or why we need one.
well that is a relief ...about Jack and the first class tickets...and as to the blow up tv....are they safe?
ReplyDeleteKathleen,
ReplyDeleteYeah! It is a relief.
As for the safety of the blow up TV...I'm not even sure if it truly exists. It could be just something that exits in Tim's imagination.
I should go look it up.....
http://backyarddivein.com/
That has an outdoor TV...it's not blow up though.....