The day has arrived for my husband and I to take our first international flight together. Matter of fact, though each of us has flown individually before, this was also our first flight together period.
I felt really good about how easy it was to go through all the lines and checkpoints with the limited carry-ons we had. We were dressed comfortable with light jackets (I'd already checked the weather and the temps would be in the high 60's so no heavy coat was needed and if it did get colder we had plenty of clothes to layer). Because my husband's backpack and my purse (a shoulder bag type where the strap went across my chest) were relatively empty, we easily stuffed our jackets inside to keep our hands free for snacking and pulling out tickets and passports.
I can't recommend this freedom of travel enough as I saw people with two to three packs or purses stuffed to the gills. I understand the need to use carry on's to the max if you fear lost luggage and therefore take a change of clothes or are making a rather short trip and can fit all your needs into one bag, but for long distances and extended hours in transit we both found it easier to have just our basic needs on us. Even with a limited budget for the trip, if everything got lost or stolen, we figured that the money we did have would be spent on clothes which according to my "Jane's Perspective", would make for fine souvenirs.
Travel guides will tell you to pack everything you want, then eliminate 1/2 and then eliminate 1/2 again and I highly recommend doing so. Remember "Jane's Perspective" of being able to buy new clothes as souvenirs - sounds like fun to me.
So we fly into the airport in Charlotte, and then we board our plane for Germany which will take us to Munich where we'll board a final plane for Athens.
The excitement was building but the reality of a 10 hour flight was a whole 'nuther story.
