The Longest Day

Here is a story that needs to be told of a thousand graces and the gift of a husband who speaks French.

Timeline by Philip Storrs

CH1: Clockwork

5:00 AM Wake up in Reims, get everyone sorted. Skeletal breakfast: coffee + banana.

5:30 AM Picture taken of Reims Cathedral with French flag sunrise.

5:50 AM Check out of hotel; we're on the road.

7:38 AM Refuel Rental car. Almost to Airport.

8:20 AM Check-in, luggage tagged. Off to border control.

9:30 AM Passports stamped, on to security.

9:40 AM We clear security.

CH2: Grace

At 9:45 AM on Aug 16, after a long wait in the customs line, we arrived at our gate L26 at CDG to board our flight home. Because we had children, we were priority boarding. When we presented our passports and boarding cards to [French Lady 1] she informed us that without a PCR test we would be unable to board. She suggested we go to the pharmacie at the terminal. The test would take 10-15 minutes. There would still be time.

As we briskly walked away from the gate, I asked a flight attendant [French Lady 2], who was headed out of the airport, where we could get a PCR test. She mentioned that there's actually a place inside the terminal that will test for international travelers.

On the tram ride over to terminal, I discuss our situation with 2 airport workers. They tell me precisely how to get to the pharmacie. Two other Air France workers are nearby, hear our story, scroll through their flights and tell me there's another flight a 1:20 today.

We quickly make our way to the internal testing area. Unfortunately, the testing site there is only for travelers arriving from "Red zoned" countries entering France. Our only choice is the pharmacie.

We work our way to customs to re-enter France. Border agent has compassion, stamps our passports and sends us through.

10:05 AM I receive a notice that our flight has been delayed to 10:45 as we arrive at the pharmacie. A quick look at the line tells me this is going to take a while. I put Mere in line with the kids. Morale is low, kids are hungry.

I make my way to the Air France sales counter and explain our situation to [French Lady 3]. In compassion, she points me to a short line where people are rebooking flights. The line is taking a little while. FL3 goes behind the counter and waves me forward. I ask to rebook the flight knowing this will likely cost. There are 2 sets of two seats near the back of the plane. I take anything I can get. Seeing we're flying with a baby, she looks to book us in a bulkhead center row. I thank her, and she starts printing boarding passes. She looks at me and in French says, "Well, this would have normally cost you 4000eu, but I feel like this is the right thing to do." My ears are ringing. As she hands me four tickets, I ask about a ticket for Otis and she says he doesn't need a boarding pass because technically he's not really a passenger. Our bags will get rerouted.

10:20 AM Send a text to Meredith. We're booked on the 1:20 flight. Everyone but Otis needs a PCR test. I get back to where Meredith is in line with the kids. They are fighting tears but Chokotoffs help make being brave easier. We wait.

I head out to Baggage Claim to confirm that our bags are getting transferred. After a getting rerouted a few times, I speak with an Air France rep [French Lady 4] who shows me on her iPad that we are booked on the flight, row 40. I see an icon of a baby, next to Meredith's name. We're all set.

Back in line at the pharmacie, it's moving slowly, but we now have a little more time. As we creep to the front, I notice people are cutting in line. An American white women, cuts right in front of us and when I confront her about it she breaks down in tears stating she had already missed one flight today and pleads for me to just let her stay. In the moment, I am struck with how much grace I have been shown today and let it go. I notice she is on our same flight.

We arrive at the front of the line. We try to encourage our kids as this is going to be a nose test. After some formalities, hand holding, tears, and the test, we're told to wait outside and come back for results in 10-15 mins. The kids and Mere go to grab food across from the pharmacie. I wait.

11:45 AM Test are negative. I pay 145eu for tests.

We head to border patrol. The line thankfully is much faster this time around.

We arrive to security scan and are compassionately waved through the priority line because we have children. As we're headed through the security line, there is a problem. We have 5 people but only 4 boarding passes. I am through with the big kids, but Meredith and Otis are being held back until we can prove Otis is meant to fly. They keep asking her questions in French and broken English. She can only say one thing in French and point: “My husband is there. He speaks French.” As the situation escalates, I explain what happened at the sales counter, and that I had seen Otis an Air France person's iPad. The lady operating the scan machine is [French Lady 2]. She recognizes us from this morning, tells her colleagues what happened. We're through.

We arrive at gate L46 as the plane is pre-boarding. [French Lady 1]—who had this morning originally told us we cannot board because of the PCR test—is at the gate, recognizes us, pulls us aside and presents us to the flight coordinator. We're at the front of the line.

After some discussion with the coordinator to sort out Otis's boarding pass, we have 5 boarding passes, 5 passports, and 4 PCR tests ready to go.

12:45 PM Eloise, Anderson, and I board the plane before most people and collapse into row 40. Mere is randomly chosen with several others for an additional baggage check.

12:56 PM We all are sitting on the flight. Picture taken.

1:45 PM Our flight pushes away from the gate. The flight is only 3/4 full. We weren't the only people who were denied access to a flight today because of the recent changes in testing policy.

CH3: Home

4:00PM [1:00AM EU] We land at LAX. All luggage arrives at baggage claim. We walk to the taxi stand.

5:37PM [2:37AM EU] We arrive at home.

6:20PM [3:20AM EU] We eat Chinese food from our favorite place in town.

7:20PM [4:20AM EU] I collapse on my bed from exhaustion.

Total awake time 23hrs 20mins. A Personal Best in my book.