On Friday, Hadley did her first solo flight to Utah.
With an airline, of course. She’s headstrong but is no Amelia Earhart.
Jamie’s mom invited her to fly out a few days before we were scheduled to drive on Tuesday and she was THRILLED. Despite having to wake up at 5:15 a.m. she popped right out of bed, chirping away about her flight to see grandma.
My wake-up was not quite so jubilant.
Though Hadley has flown several times before, being an “Unaccompanied Minor” is an entirely different ballgame. When I booked her ticket with United (with a $99 surcharge each way), I disclosed she would be by herself. I waited for additional information with my confirmation as to what would be involved. Could I check-in online? If so, would I also be issued a pass to get through security? Where did we need to go once at the airport?
United did not send anything. Fortunately, we muddled our way through, eventually figuring out we should not standing in the general check-in line, but rather, special services. I was issued a security boarding pass and filled out some requisite paperwork detailing my contact information as well as Linda’s (the retrieving party).
And then it was business as usual. Only it wasn’t usual. I watched my girl take one step closer to growing up.
When she landed, she called to inform me she had a great flight and that she talked to the nice man beside her the entire flight.
My apologies to nice men everywhere.
She is also feeling a false sense of confidence and proclaimed, “I think next time I’ll go on a Disney Cruise ALL BY MYSELF!”
And so it begins.
It has just been Bode, Jamie and me in Colorado the last five days. Jamie predicted it would be quiet without her. He was wrong. On Friday night, he and Bode went for a father-son bike ride down to the skate park. When they arrived home, Jamie divulged:
“He wouldn’t shut up the entire time.”
“Quiet Bode?” I queried.
“He’s quiet no more. It’s like he has been silenced all these years by his chatterbox sister and he’s making up for lost time.”
It’s gonna be a long 9-hour drive to Utah today.
I'm a Canadian-born mom of two, former Denver Post columnist, family travel writer, editor of MileHighMamas.com and 9News contributor. Expert on all things Utah, Denver, family and travel. Lover of laughter and life. Happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin. 