Day 1: Departure from America

Saturday, July 1, 2023

Bakersfield,  California

@hanstullmann Day 1: Departure from America https://bit.ly/Day1Departure #TullmannTravels #switzerland2023tullmann ♬ All Around the World(La La La) - R3hab / A Touch of Class

Packing

Preparing for a 21-day trip is... tricky.  We spent 1 whole day just packing.  You have to think ahead about what to buy, prioritize by importance and weight, and fit all the essentials into:

• 1 Check-in Luggage (50lbs)
• 3 Carry-on Luggages (18lbs each)
• 3 personal items (small)

On Saturday, July 1, 2023, we already had 90% of the packing done, but ended up packing, re-distributing, and cleaning the house until it was time to leave at 1:30pm.  

Car Rental

This was the first time we decided to rent a car and drive down to LAX.  Normally, we would park in an airport parking structure while traveling.  However, this time, we rented a black Dodge Charger (free upgrade) and this was fun to zoom down to Los Angeles. 

Los Angeles International Airport

We dropped off the rental close to LAX and immediately boarded a shuttle bus that dropped us off at LAX, Tom Bradley International Terminal.  Jonas was getting very excited.  

I had checked in online earlier that morning, so we got in line to check our luggage.  To our surprise, we were offered to check our carry-on luggage too-- so, free upgrade!  We checked 3 total and went to security.

Jojo was ready to show his passport, which we registered for on March 15, 2020-- the day the lockdown began.  It took 6 months to receive due to COVID.  

We made it through security, but I had forgotten to remove a frozen water from a lunch bag, so Alina was held up 😬.

At 7:35pm, we found our seats and settled in for a 10-hour flight, enjoying a beautiful sunset over Los Angeles.  During the flight, we had dinner and in-flight entertainment. 

During the flight, Jonas continued to cough, a symptom that developed as our departure drew nearer.  We had hoped he would be recovered, but all day the coughing persisted. We hoped that 24 hours of travel to Switzerland would be as smooth as possible, but after arriving, things did not go as planned...

#TullmannTravels 

#Switzerland2023Tullmann