Clocking up the air miles

After my flying visit to London in early February for work and Tim's trip back in March the kids have been really keen to cross continents and spend a little time with friends and family. So on Monday night I found myself sitting at JKIA in Nairobi with three kids waiting for a late night flight back to the UK. Tim is staying put - he has read the weather reports from the UK (and has work to do).
Just over 2 Years ago we went to a family wedding in India. I flew first with the kids and I remember being a little daunted at the prospect of a long haul over night flight navigating 3 small people, our bags, their travel sickness, our arrival in the early hours etc. I was struck on Monday by how much more straightforward this now feels. Of course they are a couple of years older and we are now mainly flying between known destinations. But we are all just much more familiar with the whole experience and it is much calmer all round. I've managed to reduce hand luggage to passports, a pen for the endless form filling and electronic goods too precious and tempting for others to go in the hold. The kids pack their own bags (with a quick once over from Tim or me to check underwear quantities, shoes and appropriate clothing and so we know what must not be left behind in the return pack). And they know what to expect at the airport so take the searches and queues in their stride (with the occasional bickering and assault on each other when it takes too long).
Now they confidently tell the driver taking us to the airport which airline we are taking and the benefits of BA over KQ. They ask for the bill at the airport coffee shop, knowing that it takes a while to appear at this particular cafe.

And they fall asleep when they can rather than try and keep awake for the movies and plane food - helped on this flight by a busy afternoon of egg hunting and swimming with some families from work.

Cool as they are about international travel, I am still not quite ready for them to be Flying alone so after quality time with family, celebrating turning 7 and spotting a few signs of English spring from behind the snow we are heading home together on Thursday for the start of school and I then pop back to the UK for a 2 day course the following week. I tried to combine it more efficiently but in the end decided that an extra 17 hours flying time for me, with movie watching and book reading was the best option domestically if not in carbon offsetting.