The Journey from Here to There

 Greetings-

First, know that my entries are not typically so long but it was a long journey to get here and I thought worth the writing. 

It was my intention to expressively write on the emotional change that I seem to experience as I cross a multitude of time zones and traverse the airports to start a new journey in a relatively new country for me (I was here for 4 days back in 2016) and wax poetic but .... screech.... nope- nada- about the only emotion that I felt upon landing in Chiang Mai's airport at 10PM Friday PM (11AM Friday EST) was a pressing fatigue and very glad to have this 31 hour trip in my rear view mirror. 

Typically, my journey to SE Asia requires 4 flights; however, this time it was three:

• Gainesville to Atlanta - 1 hour
• Atlanta to Seoul, Korea- 15.5 hours
• Seoul, Korea to Chiang Mai, Thailand- 6 hours

I know- that adds to 22.5 hours- where is the 31?  Layovers. I was up at 2:30AM Friday AM to be at the Gainesville Airport at 4AM. So start to finish- 31 and I slept maybe 1 hour on the flights.  

Truly- I do not mean for this to be a gripe entry.  Just noting that despite all the planning in the world, international travel is not always glamorous or comfortable. I learn a new lesson every time I make this trip- even if it is a lesson of appreciation and this trip was no different. 

The first flight went fine and then I flew on a Delta flight to Seoul.  I give full points to Delta for the service and even the quality of the food (lunch and dinner) sitting in Premium Select.  However, the seat was no wider nor roomier than those folks back in Economy and then during a trip to the restroom, my blanket was picked up by someone and because it was a full flight- there were no extras.  I had brought one of my wraps but that was of limited value. I didn't bring a jacket as the temps here in Chiang Mai are expected to be 104-106 on a daily basis. So, being chilly for about 8 hours isn't great. 

The flight certainly secured my commitment to EVA airlines (a Tawainese carrier) which has Premium Economy down to an art and I've flown with them 20 times, but, my grant funded this flight so Delta it was.

The real challenge came in Seoul. I had a split ticket- meaning, I had to pick up my baggage in Seoul and recheck it into Jeju Airlines, a Korean budget air carrier. Again, a requirement of the grant that I have the cheapest flight possible. (I did get an exception for the Delta segment due to my artificial knees.) This is where things were....challenging. I've had a split ticket before, but always stateside at LAX, never abroad.  Lesson Learned.  We landed at 2PM Korean time and my next flight left at 6:10PM. A 4 hour layover is reasonable though I typically shoot for 6-8 hours to be on the safe side to not miss the connection. So, the issue? I had a crazy time getting to my luggage!  I stood in 3 different lines and spoke to 6 different people.  Go through Immigration. Go through Transfer. (back and forth) It wound up that I had to go through the Immigration line and though I was there only 4 hours, it required an Arrival Card.  Lesson Learned. Everyone was polite but it ate up time.  By the time I got to my luggage, 1 hour 15 minutes had passed. Then things took a down turn. 

I had my backpack, my carryone roller board, and 2 check ins; a large roller board suitcase and (drumroll) a 40 gal/ 35 pound tote filled with items for the Chiang Mai nursing program. I've used totes before and had no issue over the fact they have no wheels. This time- it bit me in a bad way. I landed at Terminal 2 and Jeju Airlines flies in/ out of Terminal 1. I asked if I could just walk there, pushing a cart and got a rather strange look and a vigorous negative shake of the head "no". Take the free shuttle. (Wait for it!) Carts are not allowed to go to the shuttle stop. So, I stepped out the terminal and was IMMEDIATELY, hit with a cold wind.  It was 50 degrees in Seoul and windy. I felt like Rene Zellweger in the movie, New In Town, when she walked out of a Minnesota airport in the winter with just a sweater on. 

I was not cold for long! It was about 25 yards from the terminal doors to the shuttle stop, so I quickly moved the 2 suitcases, then went back and moved the tote, moving 5-10 yards at time, breaking out in a sweat as people swirled around me.

Fortunately, a shuttle bus pulled up just as I made my last move. I was the last one on the bus and there appeared to be juuuuust enough room inside the door and next to the driver for my luggage and me.  So I hauled the tote up the steps first, then the large check in, then the small roller board and me.  YES... made it!  Until the driver looked at me with the very clear thought (no interpreter required), You idiot, I've got to shut the door. Now, I have not worn a girdle in multiple decades but some things you never forget, so I sucked it up and wiggled around so the door could shut without removing any of my limbs. 

There- I'm in.  The luggage is in.  It quickly became apparent why I got the strange look about walking/ pushing a cart between terminals.  Terminal 1 is 15 km away (9.3 miles)! Gesh. 

Once at the terminal, I again had to do my "girdle moves" so the driver could open the door annnnnd again, I had to haul off my luggage and tote while my fellow passengers looked on with various degrees of irritation as they could not move, until I was off the bus. However, the cart station was right there and I was in Terminal 1 in short order. 

ICN Airport in Seoul is a huge airport and quite lovely.  How to find Jeju Air?  There was no signage and there were a tremenous number of airlines.  Each was assigned a letter of the alphabet and they were lined up in a vertical fashion to the entry doors with each  probably 50 yards long.  The shuttle dropped us off at "Row A".  Nope, not Jeju and on I quicly pushed my loaded cart cognizant of the time. Time was ticking!  C... D.... E.... I asked at an information desk and of course- Jeju Air is at row L! Yep, A,B,C,D, E.... all the way to L.  Now, I do not "gallop" but I was probably now pushing that cart at a pathetic lope. 

Found it! Annnd I found 125 people ahead of me with the ticket counter signage stating "Check In Ends 1 Hour Before Departure".  It was now 4:15PM.  (Remember, I landed at 2PM).  So I counted, 5 lines of people with 23-27/ line- Okay, 25 average. I started the timer on my phone. One row down, 15 minutes.  Gulp, do the math.  The ticket counter for my flight would close at 5:10PM. Geesh- when is the stress going to ease up here?  I finally, just took a couple of breaths and told myself, it is what it is. When suddenly there was a surge and I was able to move forward almost an entire row. What?? A tour group! (This is good.) A tour group was assigned to one ticket agent so that gave me the necessary margin to get checked in by a very nice young man who noted that my name on my ticket did not match my passport. My maiden name was missing! A conversation to be had with my travel agent at a later date but he stamped my boarding pass so security would not stop me.  Bless him!! 

I arrived at my gate at 5:10PM.  The gate was truly lovely- it was down a level and only one of two gates, so it was quiet with great seating and soothing colors.  Gave me a chance to catch my breath (I did stop and pick up something to drink as I headed down to my gate.) and cool off. 

The Jeju leg of the flight was interesting.  It really is a budget carrier.  I had paid $36 to select my seat and I picked the exit row, so great leg room but didn't realize that you are not permitted to recline your seat, so I was sitting pretty straight for the 6 hour flight.  Food was extra.  For $1.65 :-) I had selected Korean bibimbap and it wasn't bad. Fatigue finally caught up to me though and I kept catching myself as my head would slump forward.... I think I even drooled on myself a bit (rather embarassing to say, but the truth). 

The Chiang Mai Airport was effortless. We landed at 10PM Chiang Mai time (There's a 2 hour difference between Seoul and Chiang Mai.) and the electronic Thai Arrival Card system took the longest with 4 pages of questions, but I walked out to be greeted by a Chiang Mai faculty member at 11PM.  We got my phone set up with a new SIM card and by 11:30PM, I was dropped off at my home for the next month, a service apartment called The Grand Wipanan. Wait... there's more.... but a story to share in the next journal entry. I enjoyed a little adventure (nothing horrendous) before I called it quits for the night... rather morning, as I finally crashed at 1AM. 

So, lessons learned: No split ticket (which fortunately, I do not have for my return home!), never bring a wheeless tote again, be careful about exit row seat and get a neck pillow! LOL.... 

Until the next entry....   Karen

Disclaimer: The content of my writing strictly represents my personal views and not those of the University of Florida, the U.S. government, the Department of State, or partner organizations.