Liz Pinard - July 22, 2007
My parents always loved to travel. They started a tradition years ago, taking
each grandchild on a special trip when they turn 12. My daughter Alaska turned 12 this year, in fact just a
week ago. After my mother’s death in
2004, we weren’t sure if the trips would continue, but my father wouldn’t let
us down, and planned a spectacular trip for this summer for Alaska,
to go to Alaska!
They were to take a cruise up the coast of British
Columbia into the Alaska seaway,
and visit Juneau, Sitka
and Anchorage. I couldn’t believe he was willing to do this
with her! Of course after naming her Alaska,
it was a given that someday she (and I?) would travel there. I was thrilled
that she would have this opportunity with him!!
Plans were in the making for over a year; as the date of departure drew
nearer, dresses were bought, new shoes were chosen, and money had been saved
for souvenirs. The flight plan changed
for departure, to 6am on
Weds 7/18. No problem, I’d get her up at
4am, (she actually was up at
3:30am in anticipation of
her exciting adventure). We headed to
Bradley airport after picking up Granddad, in the pitch dark, with Alaska stating “I’ve
never been up this early before!”. We
arrived at the airline counter, with all their luggage and identification, but
alas, Alaska did not have a passport to enter Canada
which is where they would be boarding the ship.
The airline attendant would not let her board. Despite having her birth certificate, picture
from school, health insurance card, and a letter signed by my husband and I
giving her permission to travel with my father. They would not accept her
without a passport. I had heard of stories such as this and read recently in
the paper about how difficult it is to obtain a passport, but never thought I
would find ourselves in this predicament.
My heart was in my throat, my pulse was way up; I just couldn’t
disappoint her and not have her go on the trip! This is where I believe God took over.
I found myself calming down, and saying to Alaska that I would find a way to get her
there, and not to worry. We let my dad
get on his plane as planned and said goodbye, that we would call him. He was headed to Calgary, Alberta.
My plan was to drive her into Canada,
and put her on a plane there. I knew that you could drive into Canada without
a passport at this time. So that is what
we did. I know that God nearly drove the
car for me, at least for the first 4 of the 6 hours it took to arrive in Montreal, because I
barely remember it. After calling my
husband Michael at home to tell him I wouldn’t be home for a while, notifying my work place that I would be out
for the day, and calling my sister in
Vermont for moral support and possibly a place to stop and rest on the way
back, we were on our way. I called the
airlines and reserved a flight for her from Montreal, at 2pm. It was 6am when we left
Connecticut, I wasn’t sure if we’d make it so I asked about a later flight,
there was one at 6pm. The drive up thru Vermont was beautiful,
although it was drizzly and somewhat overcast for the first few hours; it
cleared at one point and was lovely. Alaska fell asleep for a
while, but woke as we entered Quebec,
and we had fun trying to pronounce some of the French signs. She helped me navigate to the airport, which
we didn’t find on a direct path, but after asking directions we miraculously
found it, and it was only 12:45pm!
We had made it! I said another little prayer of thanks to God for watching over
us, and we headed in to get her a ticket.
She was so proud of herself for being expected to do this all on her own
now. She has only flown once before, at
9yrs old, with all of us to Florida. She even announced as we approached the
boarding gate, “This is so great, I get to travel by myself for the first time,
and in a different country!” I thank the
Lord for being there, because I felt a sense of comfort that everything would
be ok. I said goodbye to her, and watched her disappear, all by herself, down
the boarding gate.
I then got back in my car, and faced another 6 hour drive
home. After getting a bit lost getting out of Montreal, (I didn’t have Alaska to help navigate), I made it back
into the US,
and then to my sisters house near Burlington,
by 5pm. She wasn’t home from work yet, but my nephew
was there, and I told him what was going on and then went out for a walk to
clear my head. It was then that I felt
God’s presence again, in the sweet smell of the wildflowers as I walked past,
the cackling and gobble-gobble of the baby turkeys I walked past in a pen at a
nearby farm, the crystal clear blue sky, and magnificent rolling hills and
mountains all around me. I truly felt peaceful, despite a tumultuous day, and
knew that my faith in God was responsible.
When I returned to my nephew, he had received a phone call from Alaska, in Winnipeg, waiting for her
connecting flight and she was fine! I
left and made it home by 11pm. Alaska
and my dad met up in Calgary
at 7pm mountain time, and
are now on their way to Alaska!! I thank God every minute I can that her dream
trip did not have to be cancelled, and that I didn’t have to disappoint her. The amazing thing is, she never once seemed
worried, and she remained calm and matter of fact the whole time! In fact she
kept reminding me not to “beat myself up” over not having gotten her a
passport! I think the Lord is with her
too!
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