Adventure 1: Just Getting There.
This adventure really started months ago as we had planned to drive and do a Paul's Journey trip with Jens parents. After Grady and Linda had to head back to the states early Jen and I agonized over continuing with the original plan of driving or flying. We chose flying because 16 -18 hours in the car with Wilson did not seem all that appealing and we could still get in some Paul stuff around Athens. So Jat (serbian airline) here we go.
On thursday our flight was delayed in Belgrade for about 1.5 hours, always fun whe you are trying to keep kids entertained and Wilson holding out for the nap- his napping on the plan was key.
After the delay we were on our way and all was good until about 10 minutes from landing when the crazy wind coming off the Aegean sea started tossing our plane around like a kite. First time in my life I was concerned about a plane actually landing and not crashing. Thankfully we landed safely but with a very green Stevens family (Jen, K and Wilson have very serious motion sickness issues, this will play a huge part in our adventure later). Because of the delay we had messed up the shuttle schedule to the conference we were attending. So we hopped off the plane, ran through customs, hustled out to the bus and off on our 90 minute journey to the conference. Miki met a nice volunteer on the bus, Julie, who would be working at the youth retreat during our conference and literally talked to her the entire ride. Poor Julie was only able to say "uh- huh" and "yes, I see", as Miki told her about everything under the sun. Jen and K were up front just trying to hold it together and I had Wilson for most of the trip. About 30 minutes out he wanted his momma so he sat with her for about 10 minutes then I took him back..... and well it went south from there.
He was a little fussy so I got up and walked to the back of the bus thinking that would calm him. I was thinking he was fussy for Jen. WRONG, he was fussy because he was super motion sick and let me know by vomiting all over me. Then vomitting on the little girl next to us, and then just to make sure covering me again. That's right his belly about (the size of a mans fist) puked out about 4 liters of curdled milk all over me. (We have since adjusted our strategy of keeping Wilson happy while traveling by constantly giving him milk - lesson learned). So with about 15 minutes to go I am standing on a bus with my son and I covered in curdeldd milk. Luckily some of our team was on the bus and they jumped into action stripping and cleaning Wilson. I had no choice but to take off my shirt and ride shirtless on a bus full of strangers - awkward.
When we arrived at the conference I got off the bus with a baby in a diaper, no shirt, shorts and shoes covered in vomit - Kyle always making a great first impression (did I mention this conference was for all our personnel in Europe and had not happened since 1991). The great hotel staff took our clothes and laundered them, we got checked in and got cleaned up but for the rest of the conference I was known as the guy who got puked on by his kid and disembarked the bus shirtless.... Part 2 coming tomorrow... it will be less adventurous.
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| These are our clothes returned folded and pressed, even the socks. |
