I can't believe it, I am finally in Abu Dhabi! I arrived at my hotel in Abu Dhabi at about 11:45 last night. Boy, was that an interesting 18 or so hours.
On the first leg of my journey, my father, Jeff, my husband, and I drove up to Dulles International Airport. Of course, today of all days it would be the first day of any actual winter precipitation. Thankfully, things cleared up and that did not delay my departure. We arrived at the airport about four hours until my departure time. I knew I would have to sit there for awhile, but I didnt want to miss my flight. We sat waiting for the counter to open with my bags sitting in front. The counter for Qatar Airways opened six o'clock. Until then, I held Jeff's hand and of course worried. "Am I doing the right thing?, Should I really do this?, It's not too late to back out". These were just a few things that whirled around in my head.
Checking my luggage was indeed an adventure. According to Qatar Airways' baggage policy, I was allowed two bags, up to 50 lbs, for free. An additional bag would cost $200. If one of the original bags went over the fifty pounds, I would be charged a $50 fee. In knowing this, I downsized from 3 bags, to two. One bag weighed 70 lbs (almost to the ounce) and the other was 48 lbs. This would mean I would be charged for the over weight amount to the tune of $50. No biggee, $50 is alot less than $200! Right?
With the bags checked, the only thing left to do was to say my goodbyes, and go through the security gate. I gave Jeff and Dad a hug and kiss and waved goodbye. I approached the security checkpoint, slid off my shoes, and placed my carryon tote and backpack into the xray machine. I walked ahead and stood in the full body scanner. The TSA agent made me laugh because he told me to put my hands over my head like a moose. :-) I thought that was pretty funny and I suppose I made his day because I laughed at his silliness!
I followed the signs to my gate and located a seat semi-close to the gate exit. Looking at the clock, I realized I would be sitting here for about three hours so I better find something to do. Thankfully, my husband's fantastic Christmas gift (Kindle Fire) came in handy. I watched a few episodes of "The Big Bang Theory", and I noticed some passengers using thier laptops to connect to the Internet. I wondered, "I wonder if there is a fee for WiFi"? It turns out it is free at Dulles! Cool! I used my Kindle to send Text messages to Jeff and also to post on FaceBook. Soon the time arrived and it was time to line up for the flight.
It turns out that the entire flight was pretty much sold out. So, what does this mean? It means that there were about three hundred people in line to board the plane. The line snaked down the hall and doubled back again.
I took this picture when I was in the end loop. Every person you see boarded the plane. It took awhile to get everyone's passport and ticket checked before they were allowed to board the plane.As it turns out, the plane was a Boeing 777. This was a very large plane. I hoped my flight would prove uneventful, and pass by quickly.
On the first leg of my journey, my father, Jeff, my husband, and I drove up to Dulles International Airport. Of course, today of all days it would be the first day of any actual winter precipitation. Thankfully, things cleared up and that did not delay my departure. We arrived at the airport about four hours until my departure time. I knew I would have to sit there for awhile, but I didnt want to miss my flight. We sat waiting for the counter to open with my bags sitting in front. The counter for Qatar Airways opened six o'clock. Until then, I held Jeff's hand and of course worried. "Am I doing the right thing?, Should I really do this?, It's not too late to back out". These were just a few things that whirled around in my head. Checking my luggage was indeed an adventure. According to Qatar Airways' baggage policy, I was allowed two bags, up to 50 lbs, for free. An additional bag would cost $200. If one of the original bags went over the fifty pounds, I would be charged a $50 fee. In knowing this, I downsized from 3 bags, to two. One bag weighed 70 lbs (almost to the ounce) and the other was 48 lbs. This would mean I would be charged for the over weight amount to the tune of $50. No biggee, $50 is alot less than $200! Right?
With the bags checked, the only thing left to do was to say my goodbyes, and go through the security gate. I gave Jeff and Dad a hug and kiss and waved goodbye. I approached the security checkpoint, slid off my shoes, and placed my carryon tote and backpack into the xray machine. I walked ahead and stood in the full body scanner. The TSA agent made me laugh because he told me to put my hands over my head like a moose. :-) I thought that was pretty funny and I suppose I made his day because I laughed at his silliness!
I followed the signs to my gate and located a seat semi-close to the gate exit. Looking at the clock, I realized I would be sitting here for about three hours so I better find something to do. Thankfully, my husband's fantastic Christmas gift (Kindle Fire) came in handy. I watched a few episodes of "The Big Bang Theory", and I noticed some passengers using thier laptops to connect to the Internet. I wondered, "I wonder if there is a fee for WiFi"? It turns out it is free at Dulles! Cool! I used my Kindle to send Text messages to Jeff and also to post on FaceBook. Soon the time arrived and it was time to line up for the flight.
It turns out that the entire flight was pretty much sold out. So, what does this mean? It means that there were about three hundred people in line to board the plane. The line snaked down the hall and doubled back again.
I took this picture when I was in the end loop. Every person you see boarded the plane. It took awhile to get everyone's passport and ticket checked before they were allowed to board the plane.As it turns out, the plane was a Boeing 777. This was a very large plane. I hoped my flight would prove uneventful, and pass by quickly.
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