So the trip started off great, and progressively got worse and worse! We left bright and early on Saturday morning on the trains down to Yokota in hopes to meet up with Kyle. He and some other pilots in the squadron were suppose to fly the jets to Yokota before flying up to Alaska for the second half of their TDY. They were predicted to be in Yokota for 3-4 days before heading off to Eilson. So we coordinated for us to come at the same time that Kyle would be there so we could see him, for him to help me out in the terminal with the kids, and so we could stay with him in his hotel room.
After a long 6 hour day of traveling the trains with two squirrely toddlers (one strapped in a carrier on my chest, another in a stroller, backpack on stroller and on back with a huge suitcase in tote) we finally made it to Yokota only to get a message from Kyle saying his flight was bumped to tomorrow, Sunday. So we were happy we made it to Yokota, but sad we wouldn't get to see Kyle till tomorrow. We were able to check into the lodging on base and decided to crash early after a harty meal from Burger King and exhausting day of entertaing my two munchkins.
Sunday rolled around and Kyle messaged us saying there was a typhoon down in Malaysia that they got stuck in so now it didn't even look like the jets were going to Yokota at all, and that he might have to fly commercially up to Alaska. Great. I was devistated when he told me that. Not only were we all exited to see him, but I was really banking on his help at the terminal and to stay in his room with him. I went down to the lobby in hopes to extend our stay at least another night if not two, and we were declined. They were completely booked from TDY and PCS travelers that space A passengers were not allowed to stay at the lodge. Panicked I looked around and saw all the other stranded space A passengers just sleeping on the floor... The only difference was none of them had two little kids! I guess it was the closest experience I had to understanding what Mary and Joseph must of felt when they were turned away from the inn before our Savior was born. A sense of panic sets in knowing you don't know where to go or how to provide shelter for your little ones.
We spent the whole day hanging out in the terminal, praying we would catch a flight so I wouldn't have to worry about our sleeping situation that night. It was miserable. Luckily they have a kid/family room with some toys, but being cooped up in that dirty room for 6 hours is enough to make anyone go crazy. After 6 hours I couldn't take it and called for the shuttle service to see if they would come take us to the BX for some food. We were denied AGAIN! Since we didn't have an official room at the lodge, we could not use the shuttle. At this point I was just mad and exhausted. So, I strapped a kid to my pregnant belly, another in the stroller, and lugged them and all our luggage 25 minutes to the BX. By the time I arrived I was soaked in sweat and wanted to die.
After boosting up our calorie count at Taco Bell I ran into some pilots from our squadron that arrived a day before when Kyle was expected to arrive. They were the only ones that made it out before the typhoon hit. I think seeing my state of exhaustion, sweat everywhere, crazy kids running around, and a look that could kill anyone in my path, they told me they had a bunch of rooms that were empty at the TLF where they were staying (since a lot of the guys were not comin due to the typhoon), and the kids and I could crash there. PRAYERS ANSWERED! Seriously though, it was like finding our own personal stable as Mary and Joseph did. I had never been so relieved in my life. They told me about the base bus that I could take to the TLF and all the guys played musical rooms to give me and the kids our own TLF unit that night. We have some awesome guys in our squadron.
Over the next 3 days (yes, 3 more days!!!) we did the same thing. Wake up, haul everything to the terminal, pray we make a flight, get rejected, then pray we could stay another night in the guys TLF. The one positive thing that happened was a couple days after we arrived in Yokota my friend Melissa and her son James Luke came down as well in hopes to catch a flight up to Alaska to visit her husband on their TDY. So they were trying to get to Alaska, and I was trying to get anywhere in the continental US. Every day she was selected for a flight but the plane would break, or the mission would be canceled and she would be back to square one with me. We were all going stir crazy in the terminal spending day in and day out there for several days. My kids didn't get naps and were little terrors, food was difficult to get cause the terminal is far away from food locations on base, and we were just dirty and gross. We made friends with some other ladies that showed up to the terminal trying to do the same thing we were hoping to do with their kids, so it was nice to have company as we all went insane together. After all misery loves company.
By Wednesday morning I was spent from waking up at 0300 in the morning to make it to the terminal by 0400 for roll calls that kept rejecting us for the flight. Finally, Wednesday morning arrived, and it was my "final straw" day. If I didn't catch a flight out I was going back home to Misawa. The flight was looking promising since there were 73 seats and I was supposedly in the 60s. I stood there waiting and waiting to see if they would call my name and select me for the flight. As more and more people were being called my hope was starting to leave. Then I heard it, "Benham party of 3." I literally screamed "HERE" and ran up to the counter. Those who had been stranded with me for days trying to get out of there as well all gave me an applause. Luckily my friends that had been camping out as well made the flight too. We were the happiest group of vagabons you ever saw. My pregnancy hormones and lack of sleep were starting to catch up with me and I just started crying as we stood in line to check our suitcases.
Everything was checked in, we had boarding passes, it was actually happening. They called us all to line up to go through security and to board the plane. After we all stood in line for 10 minutes a loud announcement came over the intercom telling us to sit down and wait as the crew tries to "troubleshoot" the maintenance issues. Oh great. I knew our plane was a C5 which has a reliable reputation to be unreliable and break all the time. After an hour of waiting another announcement came saying they were still trying to fix the issues. This continued for the next 3 hours until we were all informed to come to the main counter where they told us due to crew rest and maitanence issues the flight was being pushed back 24 hours.
All the hope and excitement drained from me as I knew we would have to find another place to sleep again, only to hope our flight would leave the next day. More hours of torture and pain of killing time with two toddlers we finally crashed back at the TLF. Thankfully the squadron guys flight had been pushed back a day as well due to weather issues along their path to Alaska so we could actually have a place to crash. 0400 Thursday morning and we rolled into the terminal again with all our luggage. I don't think I have ever prayed so hard that the plane was fixed and would actually take off.
After an hour of waiting in anticipation they made a loud announcement that the plane was fixed, crew was ready to go and it was time for all manifested passengers to check bags and go through security. Hooray! Miracles happen!!! We checked our luggage, went through security and borded the bus to take us to the C5, I honestly thought we were smooth sailing from then... only to be very mistaken. They came on the bus to tell us all that the box meals we had purchased were not going to be available on the flight, meaning no food for 10 hours. I had purchased 4 meals for the kids and myself to make sure we had plenty of food for the flight cause we didn't have anything with us. I literally started panicking. Not only will we not be able to eat for 10 hours, but we were not able to get breakfast as well since nothing was open on base at 4 in the morning! I knew it was going to be an ugly flight with grumpy, starving kids, and pregnant momma!
Still trying to process that we were not going to eat, we all started filing onto the plane. Of course I was shoved in the back of the line cause I'm slow with little kids. Almost everyone had taken their seats (free seating) when I made it on the plane only to see that the only seats left were two spots in the very back and one in the front. Tired, hungry, irritated, frustrated, angry, and flat out mentally done I stood at the front of the plane and made an announcement to all the passengers, "I am a mother to two toddlers ages 3 and 2 and I cannot be separated from them on a 10 hour flight. Either you can move now or I will get the crew involved to forcibly move some of you so that I can be seated next to them." I got a lot of scared looks from some people cause immediately some people started to shuffle, clearing a row of 3 seats for us in the back. I had a look and a tone that could have killed so I don't think anybody wanted to mess with this pregnant momma.
I finally got relief once we were in the air. We had taken off meaning no more maintenance issues. We were on our way. Now we just had to endure 10 hours of rationing our four packs of fruit snacks, two drinks, and three granola bars. I don't know how we did it, but we made it alive and the kids were pretty decent the whole flight. We were blessed and my prayers were answered. I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father that somehow made our food ration last us the whole trip. It was our own personal version of how the Savior blessed the loaves and fishes to feed the thousands of people back during Christ's ministry.
If anything, I have learned several things during this experience:
1) never travel to the states during peak PCS season on space A (may-August)
2) my kids are champs for what they went through!
3) My Savior and Heavenly Father know my trials and what I am going through at all times, and are always there for me
4) miracle do exist today! I was selected for a flight as category IV, found lodging when there was none, the plane was fixed, and we were able to survive on little to no food the entire flight.
Now it's time to crash and enjoy much needed family time! Hello America!
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