You can tell a lot about a person by the way they handle three things: a rainy day, lost luggage and tangled Christmas tree lights...

Auntie Kathy was nice enough to bring it to us to the airport (it really makes a big difference when you’re going to be traveling for 30 hours) – not that the bus is bad, it’s just nice to have personal drop off!

We checked in to our JetBlue flight from BOS to JFK with enough time to get some water.  Quick flight to JFK – pretty painless.  However, getting to our connecting flight at JFK was a bit, annoying.  In the past, we have taken United and the connecting flight (in Newark) is always in the same terminal.  However, at JFK we literally spent out entire connection doing just that – connecting.  We had to go all around and essentially back outside to come back inside to check in – which wasn’t so bad if you’re Chris Wilson!  She had originally booked an “extra legroom seat” on the long haul flight from JFK to Hong Kong (16.5 hours – I think it’s the 8^th longest flight in the world).  However, when we checked in, she had been upgraded to business class!  She rocks!  I was very jealous (I was in the back with the common folk) but so excited for her as she had space to move around and the seat fully reclined so she could sleep!!!!  Imagine that!  The line for security was pretty long, so by the time we got to the gate they were already boarding – which meant no time for food (boo!) good thing I had some snacks!  Me and my economy seat had a good flight…watched a couple movies and slept a bit too! 

The connection in Hong Kong was surprisingly MUCH easier.  Mom still let me (a commoner) hang out with her!  We ended up stopping to eat at a “Spaghetti House” which was so yummy – although we realized after, it cost like $47! Ha! For two spaghetti dinners, two sodas and some bread!  Oh well, it was totally worth it to have a decent meal! 

We easily found our gate, and then mom found these AWESOME recliner chair things!  They were just like lounge chairs (you couldn’t put them down all the way) but it was so nice to lie out! 

I started to blog but literally could not keep my eyes open.  Mom was going for a walk so I told her I would keep opening my eyes to watch her bags (famous last words) because when she came back I was passed out!  Ooops!

Flight from Hong Kong to Saigon was pretty quick and painless (about 2 hours) and I was in and out of sleep for most of it.  After landing, we made our way over to get our Visa.  You need a Visa for Vietnam and you have two options: go thru the consulate or go thru a company.  I have done both, but prefer the company because you don’t have to send in your passport and (more recently) it has become cheaper!  You fill out an application, attach a passport photo and pay $45 when you arrive in Vietnam and you receive a Visa for one month.  The only “annoying” part about doing it this way is you do have to wait for them to process the Visa once you arrive.  This time was actually the longest we have ever waited (30 minutes – really not that bad) and the one thing I said (ooops) was, “at least we wont have to wait for our bags!” 

We made it thru Passport Control with no problems, and then headed to carousel 1 to get our bags, which (hence the title) were nowhere to be found.  They weren’t even loading more bags, so after looking in every nook and cranny (and having mom do the same) we were off to lost luggage.  We probably waited about 15 minutes in that line, until the lady told us that yes, our luggage was still in New York!  Silly luggage!  Now, she claims, that it will be here today at noon.  However, that means from the time she told us it was in NY to the time she says it will be here is 12 hours..hmm…we shall see what happens.

Mom and I, who are pretty high strung type A personalities, were both like, meh what are you going to do, and headed on out.  The nice thing was we had ordered a car service thru the hotel, and they were still waiting for us (over an hour and 20 minutes after we landed! Yay!)  So that was really nice because we did not have to worry about getting a cab! 

Check in to the hotel was no problem, and we did head out to the 24 hour convenience store (it is SO nice to know where you are!) to get some water and mom found Mountain Dew!  How cool!

We only slept about 6 hours (it was 3am by the time we went to bed) and with jetlag I am all messed up!  However, we did wake up to have breakfast at the hotel, and now we will wait for our bags (fingers crossed!!!)  I, luckily, have capris and a t-shirt (what we always wear to the orphanage) but mom doesn’t have any great outfits (I wont go in to the options she was showing me, believe me you don’t wanna know!).  Regardless, if the luggage doesn’t come we will still head over this afternoon to see our kids!

Weekends are a bit strange at the orphanage as the “big room” isn’t open, so the kids literally stay in their little rooms all day (aka do absolutely nothing).  I love going because volunteers have the weekends off so we really are the only visitors.

Well its only 11am, and I have only been up for 2 hours - but I think a nap is needed :P  (I am a terrible poster child for getting over jet lag!)

Fingers crossed for luggage!