Panama BABY!

Pre -  New Thing #34 : 

WAY back in April last year, my niece, Jackie & I made time to go online together and purchase our tickets to Panama.

While we were shopping the travel and airline websites, Ciara, Ephraim and (the 'Birthday Girl') Sequoia popped up on Skype.

After plentiful Happy 1st Birthdays!! and "BB BB BB" we tapped into Ciara and Eph's experience of flying internationally. They'd moved their sweet family to Panama about ten weeks prior.

They gave us their take on customs, immigration, security, passports and such. Neither Jackie or I had ever been out of the country.

Our Skype connection was unsurprisingly spotty. Cutting in and out. But while Ciara enlightened us on international travel, it was entertaining to watch Sequoia climb on Ephraim's head. Literally. She was clinging to the top of his head. She'd had her first bit of sugar ever, in the form of a birthday cupcake.

After giving us the details she could think of, Ciara had one last insight: "Just remember this one thing," she said. And at that exact moment, Skype froze.

We waited a few seconds for it to come back up. Nothing happened.

"Wait. What's the one thing?" I said to the frozen image of Ciara, Eph and Sequoia on the little screen of my Netbook. Still nothing.
Jackie and I looked at each other. And started laughing. 
"We need to know the one thing!" I said.
"I know," Jackie agreed.
We waited......

Then Skype started ringing again. We accepted the call and expressed our group relief to have the precious and precarious connection back.
"What was the one thing?" I asked.
"What?" Ciara asked.
"The one thing we need to know about flying to Panama?" I said.
"Oh yeah," Ciara said.
And Skype froze again.

"No!" I said.
"WHAT'S THE ONE THING??" Jackie and I howled.
Both deciding that we'd need to cancel this trip.
What if the one thing was "Don't fly in on a Wednesday?"
Or "They won't let you in the country if you're wearing open-toed shoes?"
Or "You'll be thrown into a Turkish prison, if you don't...."

Okay, we didn't cancel. In spite of the comical but rocky start, Jackie and I bought our tickets that night....whatever the one thing might be.  It was scary as we clicked Proceed to Checkout.
Stay tuned.....

~

Sequoia's First Birthday!