Littles, we are going on an adventure very soon. In about 10 days, we will be on a huge airplane headed to South Africa. Your Mom is already there, waiting for us. You asked me about what you should know in order to prepare you for this adventure.
Before our flight, take a shower and put on a nice outfit that you feel good in. You will be meeting lots of new people. You will also be wearing this outfit for several hours, so make sure you are comfortable! After you pack your bag and get ready, we will drive to the airport.
At the airport, we will need to wait in line to get through security. The security people want to make sure that everyone who gets on the plane is safe, so try not to joke around too much with them. They will check your passports to make sure you are you. Then, your bag will take a trip through the x-ray machine. The security people may ask you to take your shoes off and have them go through the x-ray machine too. After we get our bags and shoes, we will head to the gate which is the place where our plane takes off.
We will wait in the gate area until it is time to get on the plane. We will walk down a long hallway until we meet our first flight attendant at the door of the plane. Flight attendants are wonderful. They are there to make sure we are happy and safe on the plane. Once we are on the plane, we will find our seats. We will put our bags in the drawers that are above our seats- they are called the overhead bins. After we put our bags away, we will sit in our seats. We will need to wait for everyone else to find their seats and sit down too. Once everyone is on the plane, the flight attendant will close the door to the plane and the plane will start moving towards the runway. The flight attendant will then give a speech and teach us how to buckle our seat belts.
Takeoff is the fun part. The plane will go very fast on the runway and eventually lift off into the sky! Sometimes the plane shakes and is noisy, but it’s just like a roller coaster. You will be able to see the airport out of the window while we go up into the clouds. Your seat will have a light you can turn on and a twisty round thing that is a fan if you get hot.
Once we get into the air, the pilot will turn off the seat belt sign and we will be able to walk around the airplane. We will play games and read and watch some shows during our flights.
At some point, we will eat dinner and then go to sleep. A few of our flights will be for several hours. You are going to be in a relatively small space with lots of strangers, so remember that everyone else is going on a long trip too. They will get cranky. You will get cranky. Babies will cry. Everyone is going to be tired. Being rude or mean does not help. Be especially nice to your brother/sister.
Here are some general guidelines for riding on an airplane:
Unless you are a baby, there is no shouting, screaming or crying. Both of you are old enough now to understand that loud things in small spaces can make people cranky. Inside voices only. Be especially quiet when you see people sleeping. There will be a time when we can be loud and do whatever we want, just not on the plane. Once we get off of the plane, we can jump and dance around as much as we want.
Don’t bring stinky snacks. Some people feel sick when they ride planes. They feel like they might throw up. Your Auntie one of those people. If you bring a nice delicious tuna sandwich or open a bag of beef jerky, someone might feel more sick and then throw up. No one likes to be around someone puking. Don’t worry! We will definitely bring snacks, they just won’t be the stinky kind.
Be aware of the space around you. If you turn around too fast, your backpack might hit someone in a small space. You might step on someone’s foot in the isle if you don’t look where you are walking. You might bump someone’s elbow or knock over someone’s drink if you aren’t paying attention.
Do what the flight attendants say. They are there to save your life if something bad happens. They are there to help you if you need anything. They will probably give you food and snacks at some point. They are your friends. It is their job to tell you what to do and where to go on the plane, follow their rules and remember to say thank you.
When we get close to where we are going, we will need to sit down and buckle up for landing. Landing is like taking off...sometimes it is loud and bumpy, just like a roller coaster.
Don’t jump up to get off the plane after we land. This is a hard one. Everyone is tired and wants to leave. The problem is that if everyone tries to get off the plane at the same time, there is a traffic jam and no one will go anywhere. In general, the people who are closest to the open door will get up, grab their bags and get off the plane. Then the people next to them get up, grab their stuff and get off the plane. If you need extra time, you sit and wait to get off the plane until everyone else is gone. I know it is tempting to try to get off the plane quickly, but a few more minutes of waiting isn’t that bad. Being patient helps everyone get off the plane faster. Some people in the back will rush to the front and cut in from of everyone because they may need to rush and catch another flight. Again, be nice and try to be understanding.
Lincoln, when you get older it would be lovely if you could help others get their bags if they are struggling. You will be stronger and taller than a lot of others. Helping people gets the line moving faster and is more efficient. Celia, same goes for you. If you are taller and stronger, then go ahead and help whoever needs help. Because you are a woman, someone may offer you help. Accept their help with a smile. Say thank you. Let them do it in the name of efficiency, even if you could have done it just fine on your own. Sometimes it feels good to help another person. Letting someone else help you is a gift to them.
Once we get off the plane, we will probably head to the bathroom in the airport to freshen up. We will need to get on and off several flights until we get to South Africa. Once we are there, we will get our bags and head to your Mom’s house. You will get to see lots of people who are very interesting during the journey. Their clothes may be strange and they may speak different languages. Can't wait to go on this adventure with you!
Love,
AA
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