Day 1 - How did this all happen?

After we returned from our 2022 trip, the wheels started turning on another adventure for the summer of 2024. There were no conditions except we had to be in Athens by July 12 - the day before cruise day. We booked this cruise in late 2022, knowing we’d build around it and make it a summer adventure. Frankly, other than the cruise there weren’t many parameters with the trip. Martha and I had a blast in 2022 when we traveled around the UK and Ireland, with an Iceland cruise thrown in, so we were pretty open on the 2024 plan.

In the spring of 2023, my niece Kathryn told me I should get in the Olympic ticket lottery. Really, it doesn’t take much more than a suggestion for me to jump on a sporting idea. I filled out whatever Paris 2024 Olympics required, and lo and behold, I received a window on a Sunday in May 2023 to buy tickets. I hadn’t even talked to Martha, yet, lol. On that Sunday, we are making breakfast, my laptop is open, and Martha walks through the kitchen and I’m like “Hey do you want to go to the Olympics next year? They’re in Paris.” Many of you already know, I have the best wife ever, and after asking a few clarifying questions: dates, cost, events, etc, she said Sure. After purchasing tickets, which you’ll read about towards the end of the trip, we knew when and where the trip would end. This will be my third Olympics and Martha’s second.

How to determine where and when the trip would begin: airline searches. Where can we go, that we haven’t been, that moves us closer to Athens. The answer was Budapest, which is actually 2 cities (we’ve been told at least…10 times). Maybe not an obvious choice, but it is someplace we haven’t been, it looks amazing, it moves us towards Athens, and there are a number of airlines that fly there.

We’ve travelled pretty extensively and have found that our stress level lowers significantly if we have someone who we know stay at our house. Martha’s parents have done this more times than I can count, but this time around they are settled in their own home in Kentucky. Enter my cousin Holly! I asked Holly at least a year ago if she’d be interested in living in our house while we were gone. Yes people, I did explain that it’s hotter than hell in McKinney in July, but Holly was all in. She worked out the logistics with her company, came to McKinney a few weeks ago for Chez Thompson Duncan 101 training, and we are all set. If you’re local and see those Illinois plates in our driveway, Holly is in residence. We cannot thank Holly enough for easing our mind.

You’d think we’d fly American Airlines from Dallas, and frankly so would I. But sometimes the hometown airline is ridiculously more expensive than others. Hello Lufthansa. So how is that working out so far: After airport check in, I’m a bit wary. Business class is apparently over sold (WTAF???). The guy at the counter offered a ridiculously low amount to move to premium economy and said we could use the money for shopping in Budapest (sexist? Yes I think so). We politely declined. Then he told us the plane is old school, meaning no plugs for charging, only USB ports. We can live with that. Then we get to the lounge - overcrowded with 20 people waiting. Nope, we’re good with an airport bar. We are now thinking very positive thoughts about the boarding process.

See you tomorrow with a post from the Frankfurt airport. Yes, Germany, where Euro 2024 is happening right now and we’ve received daily emails on airport security and wait times due to the tournament. Yep, great call Maggie - Lufthansa.