The long trip home...

We did it. We survived the 22-hours flight from Los Angeles to Jakarta with two sniffling, coughing young children on their first ever plane trip. I chose the word ‘survived’ specifically, because that’s how we felt. I realize we’re not unique in this experience, countless other parents have traveled by air with their toddlers and babies, but it’s something I definitely do not want to repeat anytime soon.

But before I go on, we’d like to say thank you to all the dear friends who took us to the airport and helped us with our many luggages and carry-ons. I don’t know what we would do without your help in LAX! Thank you and also to other friends who could not come to the airport, thanks a million times for your love, care and prayers!

Thank you, gentlemen...
without your help there's no way we could navigate thru LAX with our luggage!

Bern and I weren’t feeling too well physically also. I had been battling a sore throat a few days before, and by the time I boarded the plane in LA for our 11:20 PM flight, my voice was reduced to a hoarse whisper.

The first leg of flight from LA to Taipei took 14 hours in very cramped positions because we didn’t get the bulkhead seats we requested (these are seats that face a ‘wall’/section divider instead of other seats, and parents traveling with small kids usually prefer these because there’s more legroom and space to put a baby bassinet). Stanley was understandably excited in his first plane ride. He immediately got busy with the individual entertainment console. Brennan quickly fell asleep again after take off and stayed asleep for several hours in my arms (we only bought three seats). A few hours into the flight, Stanley finally fell asleep.

The rest of the flight was uneventful, just punctuated by both kids barfing up (not a total surprise). But Brennan managed to do it one step further, he did it all over my shirt front -- thank goodness I had some spare clothes in the carry-on (be prepared!).

After a short transit in Taipei we reboarded the same plane, and thankfully some bulkhead seats had become available on this flight to Singapore, so I moved there with Brennan, creating much needed space in our row for Bern and Stanley. A bassinet was promptly set up and I moved Brennan there when he fell asleep and he snoozed snugly in there for a couple of hours (see photo below). This 4.5 hours leg of flight was much shorter and more comfortable than the first one.


Our first reintroduction to the tropical climate greeted us when we landed in Singapore. We could feel the hot humid air that seeped through the seams in the tunnel connecting the airplane and terminal.

Another brief transit and then we’re off on the short connecting flight to Jakarta. It would be the first time in 22.5 years for my feet to stand on my tanah air, 11 years for Bern. I wish I could say I had some profound and deep introspection or thoughts as we approached this momentous occasion, but the reality and demands of being parents traveling with small children at the tail end of a 20+ hours flight kept interrupting any philosophical reverie. Stanley and Brennan just don’t stay still for long (ummm… five seconds?). What Bern and I felt most at this point was pure exhaustion… and relief because this trip is almost over!

Verdant trees surrounding Soekarno-Hatta glided by as the plane touched down. My eyes drank it all in. I haven’t seen such explosion of green for a very long time. Despite all the other merits of southern California, its hills are unappealingly brown and scrubby, and lush vegetation is definitely not one of LA’s attributes.

As the plane taxied into the gate I asked Stanley, “where are you now?” and he answered very clearly, “In-do-ne-sia”. The minute we stepped into the airport, sticky sweat started to form as the heat and humidity enveloped us (it was around 1:30 on Sunday afternoon when we got there). There was just no escaping it. Welcome to Jakarta!

We breezed through immigration and luggage checks (thanks to some connection and other ‘Indonesian’ way of doing things… wink, wink). We do thank God for that one airport official that came out of nowhere to help us short-cut the very, very long lines at the immigration check. I think he took pity at us, lugging our two kids, two strollers and even more carry-ons hanging from our backs, shoulders and hands. I’m very impressed at the courteousness of everyone so far! (very different from my early memories).

Our family members welcomed us with big smiles and hugs at the waiting area … finally we’re back in Indonesia! Stanley quickly recognized his opa and oma (Bern’s parents). Bern’s sister, her husband, plus my mom and my sister were also there. The rest of my family couldn’t be there at the airport, this being Sunday afternoon, my brother still had a few more church services to do, and my father was still in the hospital.

Traffic was pretty light on the toll road connecting the airport to Jakarta and soon I laid eyes again on my sprawling hometown, which by now is totally different, foreign and unrecognizable to me. So much has changed in over two decades, myself included… but that musing is for another posting…