For the last year or so, Husband has been deeply involved in the planning of NYU Abu Dhabi. He’s been there seven times on his own, while I hold down the fort here. It may come as a big surprise but being here alone with the boys was not the most fun I’ve ever had. And okay yes, I’ll admit to being just a teensy-eensy bit bitter about the fact that Husband got to go jaunting around on his own, while I stayed home and did the school-soccer-cooking-cleaning drill on my own (plus there’s that part where I have a job, too).
What I envied most, however, about Husband’s global travels was that he flew business class. The idea of lounging in a bed for thirteen hours with someone waiting on me? It’s like heaven at thirty thousand feet, give or take a few thousand.
Sometimes I think it’s a little pathetic that I pine after business class, but I do.
And tonight, my pining pays off: we’re all going to Abu Dhabi, flying Emirates Pearl Business Class. I would like to take this opportunity to offer an anticipatory apology to my fellow Pearl travelers for Liam and Caleb, who are enthralled with the whole “pod bed” concept–and plan to stay awake for the entire journey in order to watch as many movies as they can cram into the thirteen hour flight.
We’ve got an entire week in the desert, with side trips to see the tallest building in the world, in Dubai; and to an oasis resort, where we have promised the boys camel rides and dune walks. God knows what my white-food-only children will eat–it’s entirely likely they’re going to starve–and I’m just now realizing that all my summer clothes are in a wrinkled wad at the back of my closet, but I don’t care.
Say it with me: business class, business class, business class.
I know there must be more to life than business class, right? Hmm…
I know: first class, first class, first class.
I flew first class once, and only once (flight canceled, my travel-friendly friend negotiated the rescheduled seat). When the oh-so-gay male flight attendant asked me in the plural first person, “Will we be eating breakfast this morning?” I had to ask him to repeat it three times because I had already wasted 10 bucks on an awful airport bagel, coffee, and juice, and hadn’t been offered food on a domestic flight in years. And the food was actually good and served on real dishes.
The rich *are* different from you and me.
My flying days are in the distant past (other than our annual one hour hop to Burlington, Vt. on Jet Blue, we never go anywhere), but back when I was a TV/Video producer? I flew a lot. And I LOVED getting sent to London on Virgin Business class. Didn’t have those pull out beds, but still, amazing service & amenities.
Have a wonderful trip! Kiss a camel for me. (Yech!)
(And yes, let’s do lunch when you get back.)
Okay wow…I’m officially jealous. That looks like heaven on earth…er in the sky.
That’s exactly what I’m doing during these endless flights: watching movies I’d otherwise never get to see. Only now we’re bringing our two year old with us. In Economy. I’m officially jealous 😉
Yes, I thought about you all the way to and from Las Vegas last week — in Economy.