C-17 Yokota to Elmendorf (August 2008)

The fact that we would be eligible to MAC (space available military flights) once DaddyO reached 120 days deployed gave me the motivation I needed to get CJ a passport as soon as he was born. I was excited to have it delivered just a few days after DaddyO hit his 120 day milestone in early July. We were ready to meet up with him wherever that might be!

C-17 Elmendorf to Andrews (December 2008)

My first experience flying space-a was with DaddyO while stationed in Japan. We tried to MAC it from Yokota to Singapore but hit some birds while landing in Okinawa and we're grounded there over New Years for repairs. That gave me my fist taste of this type of traveling and I was hooked.

I then MACed from Japan to Alaska and the East and West Coasts the following summer and DaddyO and I did another trip to Alaska and the East Coast when moving back to the States. The image that will always be engraved in my mind is of sitting in front of a little window and watching two F18s pull up underneath us and refuel. Only a MAC flight would give me that experience.

With all the wonderful flying memories are also a lot of ones sitting in terminals waiting for my name to be called. MACing is not a stress free vacation but once you get on the right flight it's a priceless experience.

I know flying with children will be a whole new adventure but I'm excited to see where it will take us. If anything it will make for a good story...