You’re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy!

That is what someone said just after our plane touched down on the runway in San Juan. It seemed everyone on the plane was looking out the window ohhing and ahhing at the same thing. In the grass just off the taxiway was a great big iguana. I pointed it out to Bug-a-Boo, although he was equally fascinated by everything outside. I didn’t grab my camera, because I thought this would be the first of many we would see on this trip. Alas, we didn’t see any more, but with my camera “securely stowed” in my carryon under the seat in front of me, I am glad I didn’t take the time to dig for it, but rather used that time to appreciate this unusual, yet in its own way, beautiful creature.

This was not Bug-a-Boo’s first flight. Even before he turned one, he had been up in a plane with hubby & I, then had flown with a friend & I to Europe and back. He loves staring out the window, especially when there is something to see. He either drinks from a cup or sucks his thumb when the pressure is changing and really doesn’t fuss much at all. I have gotten numerous compliments on what a great flyer he is. With all this in mind, I did not think twice about flying to Puerto Rico alone with him. Now, you must realize, the other flights I had someone with me to help. Somehow in planning this trip, I didn’t think about that. I just thought, “Bug-a-Boo is such a good baby and does so well with traveling. We’ve done this before, and it will be no big deal.” (Of course, I thought his real name which is not Bug-a-Boo, but you get the idea.) Now, he IS a good baby and he DOES do well with traveling, but I didn’t realize how difficult flying alone with even a good baby can be. For such a little guy, he requires a good deal of gear. I had him in the stroller to get through the airport and between gates, because he’s a big boy. (He weighed 9 lbs., 11 oz when he was born and now is 26 ½ lbs.) Added to this, I also had his carseat for him to ride in on the plane if there was a seat available. I had our carry-on which included everything to keep him clean and happy for the day (think toys, diapers, wipes, food, spoon, change of clothes for both of us, camera, etc.), plus a book and magazine which were thrown in mainly as a memory from the pre-baby days when I would spend flights reading. Finally I had my purse with my ID and tickets. Going through the airport was fine. The bag & purse went in the basket of the stroller with the carseat balanced upside down on top of the canopy.

It wasn’t long until I began to find a few kinks in my “easy” traveling plans. It was times like these that I was so glad I am not a single parent and this is not an everyday way of life for me. I have a wonderful, supportive husband who is usually with me and is a great help whenever I need a hand. I truly felt for all the single parents and am amazed at how they do it! Here are some examples of “kinks” I faced that wouldn’t have been a big deal if I wasn’t traveling alone with my baby. The first was security – all these things including the stroller, plus my shoes had to go through the x-ray. Wouldn’t you know that as I was trying to balance a squiggly baby on my hip and collapse the stroller, it chose to stick! Imagine the looks of the people in line behind me as I struggled with it. Then there was the simple act of using the necessary room. I couldn’t leave my bags unattended, so I had to muscle all these things into the restroom with me. Thank goodness for handicap stalls. I admit, although I don’t have a physical handicap, I utilized that stall and praised God for the extra room. Then there was the same issue on the plane –you know how tiny airplane facilities are! Now, on the plane to Europe the teeny, tiny bathroom actually had a fold-down changing table which we used. So this time, when Bug-a-Boo had a stinky diaper I boldly headed to the restroom only to discover no changing table at all. I will leave it to your imagination how I changed his diaper in that cramped area. The final major kink was how to get all this baby gear onto the plane once I gate-checked the stroller. Bug-a-Boo doesn’t walk yet, so I had to carry him in one arm, my carry-on over my shoulder, and the car-seat in the other arm. This seemed quite doable until we got to the narrow isles of economy class where there were already people seated on either side. Since we were riding standby we boarded last and our seats were all the way in the back of the plane, almost as far as you could go. While I tried my hardest to be a narrow load, I am sure I bumped one or two people, and I proceeded at what seemed to be a snail’s pace to avoid taking out both sides of the aisle!

Throughout all of this I learned a couple valuable lessons. The first was to be thankful for my husband and that this is not normal operating procedure. The second was the importance of being kind & helpful. People were so helpful to me throughout the day. Mainly people helped with little things, but to me, traveling alone with a baby, these things made such a big difference. Here are a few examples: when I went through security, the lady working offered to hand process the stroller since it wasn’t folding. The people in the security line behind me gave me smiles instead of impatient faces. Is that what you would have imagined? One family in the waiting area smiled at Bug-a-Boo and even played games with him like Peek-a-boo. The grandfather figure in the group (the only one who spoke English) kept encouraging Bug-a-Boo to pull up on his leg (in a friendly, not a weird way). These little things kept him busy and exercising even though he was sleepy. Then when we got on the plane he fell right asleep. The gate agent for our second flight was also very helpful. We were flying on a buddy pass (i.e. very cheap, no frills) with the baby booked as a lap child. I asked if there was any way to be seated next to an empty seat so I could put the carseat in it and Bug-a-Boo could sleep. (He doesn’t sleep well if at all on my lap. Did I mention he got up at 4 am to catch our first flight on which there were no extra seats?) He gladly obliged, as long as I boarded last in case anyone wanted to buy that seat at the last minute. I was so happy that I headed out to the plane without finding out my seat assignment. When the flight attendant asked where I was sitting I didn’t know! He looked over my paperwork and couldn’t find it listed anywhere. Just when I thought I would have to head back up the ramp to the gate to find out, he offered to do it for me. Then as I was heading slowly down the plane aisle trying to avoid bumping people, another flight attendant took the car-seat and a fellow passenger offered to carry my carry-on so that all I had to carry was the baby. Even when Bug-a-Boo discovered to my horror that his feet touched the seat in front of him and he could push on it, the lady just smiled and said she understood – she had traveled with kids herself. (Even so, I tried to stop him from doing it as much as I could. That drives me nuts when people kick or push my seatback!) Even before that day when hubby’s co-workers found out he was going at the last minute, no less than three called to be sure I had a way to get there. Two offered us buddy passes and one offered to have us travel with his wife if we got a full-priced ticket.

All these things may have seemed like no big deal to the people who did them. But to me, each one was an encouragement. Many times I cringed wanting to do it on my own without help (like heading down the aisle – “No, no, don’t worry about me. I’m super-mom. I’ve got it. CONK!”), but when I humbled myself and let them help, these people who I never met all made my trip so much easier and more enjoyable.

Check out God’s command to the Isrealites in Deuteronomy 22. “If you see your brother's ox or sheep straying, do not ignore it but be sure to take it back to him. If the brother does not live near you or if you do not know who he is, take it home with you and keep it until he comes looking for it. Then give it back to him. Do the same if you find your brother's donkey or his cloak or anything he loses. Do not ignore it. If you see your brother's donkey or his ox fallen on the road, do not ignore it. Help him get it to its feet.”

In other words, God’s people were to take note when someone needed help and help that person. If I claim to be a child of God, I should do no less. I have failed in this area many times, and I am sure I will fail again, but the things these people did for me remind me to keep an eye out for ways I can help others, especially single parents or parents by themselves. I hope that in the future, instead of getting impatient with the person struggling in front of me in line or the child kicking my seatback, I will either patiently endure it or offer to help. I want to do this, not for the accolades, but because this is one way I can demonstrate my love for my Savior, Jesus and because something small I do may mean something big to someone else.