Travel with a small child - phase one

Travel - as much as it has been a pleasure for me all along my life, I have dreaded for the past few weeks the travel that I would have to undertake in Dec 2006 with a young child of 2Yrs and with nobody else to help.

Dreading the worst, I set on my Journey the very early morning of 20th Dec 2006. I was scheduled to travel on the Jet flights from Bangalore to Mumbai (@ 8:55AM ) and thereon on to London from Bombay (@ 1:30PM) Usually the flights are on time and hence do not really get you worried on that account unless there is a real bad weather or similarly bad conditions. Fortunately for me the weather Gods have been happy and smiling and did not cause me much trouble except for a 20 min delay due to winter fog.

My father dropped me off at the airport and made sure that I could comfortably check in my luggage (3 big bags, a trolley and a backpack)...all together adding up to about 85Kilos between Dhairya (my 2 year old) and me. I could check in 60 Kgs (that would be the three large bags) and carry with me the trolley and the back pack. I requested the check in staff to check in one of my additional cabin baggage. She did oblige...but she checked it in only up to Bombay. So with a young child, it was a temporary relief. I did finish the Security check and other formalities in time to board my flight.

The number of planes, the size, the new experience, did keep Dhairya enough amazed that he would not trouble me much. I had a rather nice co passenger whose name I cannot recall. But she was an elderly lady in her late 60s and was a retired school teacher going to Bombay on a lunch meet with her old students. She kept me busy with her talks. The child meal that they served was nice enough and Dhairya did enjoy his meal. I started my meal after he finished and by the time I managed to finish the breakfast, it was time to land.

The landing did happen rather smoothly and I reached Mumbai 20mins behind scheduled time.