Lord Willing

So here's what I got.... 2 June, flying out of Indo to Singapore where I have a 15 hour layover from 1 PM until 6 AM the next day. Because the layover is so long, for only $15 extra, I get to stay in a 4 star hotel in the main shopping area of Singapore. I also get free shuttle service to/from the airport. So hurrah for that!

Bright and early the morning of the 3rd, I fly to Tokyo, where I only have a 50 minute layover. Hopefully I don't change planes. Then I should be in Detroit by 2 PM and so should my family!

I follow the same path on the way back to Indo. But that time, my layover in Sing will only be 6 hours, midnight until 6 AM. So I opted for no hotel. My airline provides a free lounge with a sleeping area in the airport, so I should be good to go. The next morning, I take 45 minute jump on the first flight back to Jakarta. Aswan is going to buy me a ticket from Jakarta back to Central Java later. Indonesian tickets are the opposite of American ones - prices fall the closer you get to the date. They're still around $60 right now, but you can get them for $20.

For my less.... um.... international friends, let me explain to you how amazing these tickets are.

1. I bought them THREE WEEKS before my departure date. Prices should be sky high by now because it's peak months and because of Libyan oil and all that. But what I was able to find - and on my first try - was still within the price range that the school will pay for (after I work here 3 years, I get a free ticket home, up to $1650).

2. In the whole trip, I only have one domestic flight. This might not seem like a big deal, but it is for two main reasons. One is that domestic flights in third world countries are basically awful. On all Indonesian flights, if I want to carry more than 40 pounds of luggage, I have to pay ridiculous overage fees. So I'll only have to do that once. The other is customs. The normal route home is to go from Jakarta to Hong Kong or Taiwan, then jump over to LAX, and from there head to the airport closest to your home (O'Hare for me, typically). But this means that since LA is your port of entry, when you land there, you are responsible for getting all your luggage, taking it through customs so your things can be rifled through, repacking, then carrying ALL your 100 pounds of luggage to your next gate to re-check it in so you can continue on your journey. However, my port of entry is also my final destination. So I DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT! This is a HUGE blessing when you're a white girl traveling alone.

3. Every airline I fly on (3 different ones) allows 100 pounds of luggage and two carryons. A lot don't these days without paying huge fees of $100 or more. Given that it's the first time in 3 years that I've come home, I kind of have a lot of luggage (expect presents!). So this is great news.

4. Did I mention that I get to stay at a FOUR STAR HOTEL in Singapore, which is like the nicest country in the world? For FIFTEEN DOLLARS?! I have been dreaming of going there, if only for the airport. It has a swimming pool, a movie theater, the tallest slide in Asia, indoor malls, etc. All for free. But I get the airport and so much more. I'm actually more excited about a 15 hour layover than anybody in their right mind should be.

So yeah... That's the plan. I arrive in America on 3 June and I leave for Indonesia on 27 July. I leave Indonesia on 2 June and return on 29 July. Three days of travel isn't bad. At all. I'm definitely thanking God for these tickets! Even though Aswan didn't get a visa, it doesn't mean that God isn't taking care of us, even in the little details!