Planes, Cats, and Screaming Kids

Greetings from Naples, including Mount Vesuvius!  

Our adventure to Naples started early Monday in Indiana and involved 2 flights in the states, a stay at the Norfolk Navy Lodge, an 8-hour "wait" at the Norfolk Navy Airport and then 2 flights from Norfolk to Naples - culminating in seeing the most handsome face in the world all tanned and waving excitedly to see the cherubs and I waiting to have our passports stamped.  Joining him were quite a few member of the Chaplain team here in Naples and we were immediately made to feel very welcome with lots of hugs:).  However, these travels to arrive here, as one might guess, were not without incident, some more amusing than others.  

The most notable however, involved our travels from Norfolk to Naples.  The scene...the Norfolk airport USO waiting area and 2 very vocal kids (not ours) who did not seem to follow their parents rules very well and who had screaming meltdowns, often.  In addition to this, there was a very loud and vocal cat in this same area who was in a carrier and who was meowing LOUDLY.  Every single person in that waiting area heard the cat, it was that loud.  You can see where this is going, right?

Oh yes, we get onto our flight and get situated for the long haul in our seats.  Then the loud kids start coming near us, I look away, my heart begins to beat faster, their parents start this way and I think, surely they are going farther back in the plane, right?  I mean, this can't really be happening to us, can it?  Well, not only did it happen, but those four were directly behind the 3 cherubs and myself.  It gets better.  The cat.  The LOUD cat that meowed nonstop.  Yes, that cat.  It was their cat and they put it UNDER CADIN'S SEAT!  Those of you who know me well know that I am a dog person, not a cat person.

Needless to say, we heard meowing about 3/4 of the way to Naples.  The engine noise did not negate the meows.  Fortunately, at some point, it seems that the parent's realized that they should apologize for their cat's meowing and that they wanted the cat in cargo but it was too full, which did somehow relieve my irritation at the cat - and them.  They also did their best to keep their kids from violently kicking the backs of our seats - not always successfully mind you, but they did try.  When Cadin and Sullivan switched seats for the second international flight, the kicking began again and when the child would not stop, I actually looked back at him and told him that he really did not want that little girl mad.  The mom seemed to go with it and told the boy that he didn't want that little girl to be mad.  She even looked back at him and told him, you don't want to see me mad. (Indeed true.)

In all, it just adds to our story of getting to Italy and it is irrelevant in the scheme of life, the important part is that we arrived safely in Naples, Italy.  I can't believe we are here and that a dream that began more than 6 years ago for us has truly come to fruition.  There have been many obstacles to overcome but persistence and hard work payed off for Dirk and the cherubs and I are getting to tag along and enjoy the benefits of his efforts.  So far, Naples has been amazing and I am truly loving the base.  Being in a community where you can walk everywhere appeals to me greatly and that is exactly what this base is like (similar to a college campus).  It is big enough to have all the necessities, but small enough that you can walk everywhere.   

There will be many more stories to share as we attempt to get our "home" in the near future so stay tuned!

Until next time,

Cathy