Ah, summer vacation. The perfect time for rest and relaxation after a long and arduous school year. But we can't fully engage in the "rest and relaxation" portion of the break until the "travel home" portion is complete. Every year as the school year winds down and the teaching staff begins to talk of plans for summer holidays, the inevitable question arises - how long does it take you to travel back to Idaho, Amanda?
Answering this question with the same number each year is impossible. Because Salt Lake City (which sees few international flights) is the closest international airport to our home, we are never able to take a direct flight home from Dubai or Abu Dhabi. We ALWAYS have to stop at least once - and even a one-stop travel agenda is a rarity. Usually, we have two layovers to sit through. Fortunately, we receive a travel allowance from my company and are able to choose our own flights. This allows us the opportunity to travel to different destinations if we prefer as we did on our first summer trip home when we spent 5 days touring London. We're also able to choose more affordable flight options and pocket any leftover travel money - an option Jeremy and I have chosen each year.
Still, I'm left speechless every time I talk to a coworker who travels to, say, Chicago (where most Middle Eastern airlines fly directly, almost every day!), and hear that they've received a higher travel stipend than me!! If I could just force myself to stop comparing travel allowances, the truth is, I'd be really happy with what we receive. But that's far easier said than done...
So, with the background information in place, here is a breakdown of our travel agenda this year:
July 15th, 11:00 pm (Dubai time) - Leave Dubai airport for Doha, Qatar.
Flight time - 1 hour
Layover time - 8 hours
July 16th, 8:00 am (Qatar time) - Leave Qatar airport for Dallas, Texas.
Flight time - 15.5 hours
Layover time - 2.5 hours
July 16th, 5:00 pm (Central time) - Leave Dallas airport for Salt Lake.
Flight time - 2.5 hours
July 16th/17th, 7:30 pm (Mountain time) - Drive from Salt Lake to Idaho Falls.
Driving time - 3.5 hours
...And then, we SLEEP!!
So, our total time in the air is about 19 hours. With early airport arrivals, layovers, and driving time included, we will spend approximately 36 hours traveling home. Whew!! Exhausting, but completely worth it. Now, when we're scheduled to meet up with friends and loved ones the day after we arrive home in Idaho Falls, they'll understand why we will look (and probably act) like sleep-deprived, jet-lagged zombies...because that's what we'll be.
Bring on the summer holiday!!
Answering this question with the same number each year is impossible. Because Salt Lake City (which sees few international flights) is the closest international airport to our home, we are never able to take a direct flight home from Dubai or Abu Dhabi. We ALWAYS have to stop at least once - and even a one-stop travel agenda is a rarity. Usually, we have two layovers to sit through. Fortunately, we receive a travel allowance from my company and are able to choose our own flights. This allows us the opportunity to travel to different destinations if we prefer as we did on our first summer trip home when we spent 5 days touring London. We're also able to choose more affordable flight options and pocket any leftover travel money - an option Jeremy and I have chosen each year.
Still, I'm left speechless every time I talk to a coworker who travels to, say, Chicago (where most Middle Eastern airlines fly directly, almost every day!), and hear that they've received a higher travel stipend than me!! If I could just force myself to stop comparing travel allowances, the truth is, I'd be really happy with what we receive. But that's far easier said than done...
So, with the background information in place, here is a breakdown of our travel agenda this year:
July 15th, 11:00 pm (Dubai time) - Leave Dubai airport for Doha, Qatar.
Flight time - 1 hour
Layover time - 8 hours
July 16th, 8:00 am (Qatar time) - Leave Qatar airport for Dallas, Texas.
Flight time - 15.5 hours
Layover time - 2.5 hours
July 16th, 5:00 pm (Central time) - Leave Dallas airport for Salt Lake.
Flight time - 2.5 hours
July 16th/17th, 7:30 pm (Mountain time) - Drive from Salt Lake to Idaho Falls.
Driving time - 3.5 hours
...And then, we SLEEP!!
So, our total time in the air is about 19 hours. With early airport arrivals, layovers, and driving time included, we will spend approximately 36 hours traveling home. Whew!! Exhausting, but completely worth it. Now, when we're scheduled to meet up with friends and loved ones the day after we arrive home in Idaho Falls, they'll understand why we will look (and probably act) like sleep-deprived, jet-lagged zombies...because that's what we'll be.
Bring on the summer holiday!!
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