This week we are the lucky guests who have a one-bedroom condo in Maui, Hawaii, courtesy of our oldest son, Francis.  He, his wife, and our two grand kiddos lounge in the two-bedroom suite next to ours.

The trip getting here was quite the adventure! The first flight was to Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, where they have five different terminals, connected by a monorail that moves so fast I would be plastered against the window if I did not hold on tightly.  Of course, I had my trusty scooter/carry-on luggage with me. This amazing vehicle is a suitcase that turns into a scooter at the touch of a button. Initially, it appears to be a pink, hard sided carry-on suitcase which can easily be wheeled using the handle. With the blink of an eye, it turns into a mobility scooter…wheels spurt out from the front along with a foot rest and steering handle, which can then be adjusted upwards to a comfortable height. A small pad sits on top so the carrying handle does not make sitting on it uncomfortable, and the handle which would normally pull it serves as a backrest. Voila! This amazing mode of transportation serves my creaky, old back very well. It zips all around like a mobility scooter, and is great fun to ride.

It causes a sensation everywhere I go. Time and time again, airport personnel and fellow travelers stare at it quizzically and exclaim surprise, saying they have never before seen one, comments which astound me.  How has this not caught on?  All throughout the terminal are airport personnel pushing wheelchairs for people for whom mobility is an issue, a service I previously utilized. Now, independently zipping through the airport is a joy.

I am able to ride myself down the jetway to the door of the airplane, at which time I hop off, push a button, and then pull my normal looking carry on onto the plane and store it safely away in the overhead compartment. Hubby and I then enjoyed our eight hour plane ride from Dallas to Maui. Yes, we actually enjoyed it, the reason being I upgraded our seats after a month of grumpy Hubby bemoaning the fact that his six foot four, overweight body, would be squeezed into a minuscule seat, jammed up against a window. It was an expensive upgrade, a splurge never before attempted, but something that I needed to do in order to prevent myself from killing him.

The first benefit was priority boarding, not something I needed because of my comfy scooter suitcase seat, but because of Hubby’s intolerance of standing and waiting in a long line.  Our seats were in the front of the plane; two wide seats taking up the normal place of three. With two feet of leg room, we practically danced into the spots, which turned out to be exceptionally comfortable, supple leather. They reclined with foot rests also up in the air, (although we could not use this benefit for taking off and landing). The biggest surprise was an attractive tote bag which contained an exceptionally puffy pillow along with a comfy full body blanket. A high quality set of headphones, an eye mask, and bag of toiletries completed the package, which was ours to keep. (I love free stuff!) There were several charging ports and a few electrical outlets for our phones and iPads. The monitor which was in front of us displayed the free movies available, of which I was enthusiastically able to watch three during the flight. (My only concern is that there were many “R” rated movies with sexual scenes included, which were easily seen by other travelers, including myself.)

We were served free lunch, which consisted of chicken, an amazing salad made of noodles, broccoli casserole, and a piece of scrumptious cheese cake. Drinks, including alcoholic beverages, were served throughout the flight. While I still chose to drink Diet Coke, Hubby took this opportunity to try several different types of beers. Later in the day, as an afternoon snack, we were served a plate of different cheeses, fruits, crackers and jelly, and a delicious candy bar. What a wonderful flight! My only regret is that we do not have the financial ability to fly in such style all the time.

The plane finally arrived in Maui, and I scooted off the plane, anxious for the adventure that awaited.