Did I mention that my now annual winter trip to the mountains has taken so many twists and turns this year that I no longer remember how it is that I imagined it and when it was to take place? I've changed the reservation maybe ten times. Maybe more. The most recent iteration was to go now, in January and because Snowdrop has several days where school is closed, she asked (more like begged) to go with me. I agreed. But since she was to accompany me, I changed the itinerary to one that would be less "sit back and do nothing" and more "let's see what I can teach her about the mountain culture in a place that is full of history and mountain ethos. For that, a return to Chamonix seemed to fit the bill.
Once we started to discuss the things we could do there, her mom's ears perked up. My older daughter typically does not like to travel. I've almost never gone anywhere with her in her adult years. She loves home. But something about the Alpine trip really spoke to her. She says it's all that talk of melted cheese. Or maybe she is wistfully watching her daughter grow up fast, even as her younger brothers still demand so much of their parents' time. And so a few weeks ago she asked -- can I go too?
Well now! I have myself a trip for three. (Though my daughter can only get away for two thirds of it as she has work stuff that needs her presence.)
We were to leave tomorrow. Then came storm number one. No problem! It's over and done with! But a second one, some say a fiercer, windier one, a virtual blizzard, the likes of which we haven't seen in a decade, is coming tomorrow.
At first I thought we'd get away with making a few tweaks to our flight plan. Leave earlier in the day. Avoid Detroit, go through Minneapolis. I stayed up late last night convincing my airline to make that change. And then I went to bed and I thought more about it and I became uneasy: we wont get out of Madison tomorrow. There's no way. The forecast is too dire. So I called my girl early, just as she was hustling the kids off to school and said -- can we leave today?
I thought we could head out in the evening, but that was a no go. Everyone has the same idea. Flights out of Madison are totally full. Flights to Europe are totally full. All those people bumped off from the first storm! All those trying to avoid the second! They're filling the planes!
Finally, a very resourceful and patient agent found us three seats on a flight leaving out of Chicago.
This is how instead of having a leisurely day of careful packing, of skiing with Ed, of planning for my departure tomorrow, I found myself packing speedily at daybreak, driving over to my daughter's place to help the little one pack her case, and driving back to get Ed to take the three of us to the bus station so that we would catch the 11:30 out of Madison to OHare airport.
I cannot believe we got ourselves ready and on that bus on time!
I write this from Chicago's OHare. I have few photos to post.
One from the bus ride!
One eating a Chicago hot dog at the airport!
I have very little else to offer right now except a great huge sigh of relief. If we make it out tonight, and we should, we will consider ourselves very very lucky. The trip will not be cancelled. We will not suffer a tremendous disappointment (the financial loss alone would have been staggering as I never buy insurance!). And we will gain an overnight in Geneva. That is where I will write from next!
Thank you, son-in-law for all the boy care that falls upon you in our absence. Thank you beloved Ed for always being there, calmly helping in any way at all as I throw down one idea after the next after the next after the next. None is too ridiculous, too outrageous, too complicated. You should go now, gorgeous. It's the best way to save your trip. Always that calm and steady shoulder to lean on.
And so I went. With my two girls. To Geneva and eventually to Chamonix.
with so much love....
