AMAZING Marriages: Accepting each other’s quirks with grace.

Life in Love  //  11th March 2013

It was Saturday night and we were up late packing for our flight out to Las Vegas for our annual trip to WPPI. Like most of our trips, it seems like all the tasks we have to get done before we go expand in order to fill up all the available time we have and we are left scrambling around at the last minute to get everything taken care of before we leave. It’s in moments like this that we have come to understand how important it is to accept each other’s quirks with grace and do whatever we can to serve each other in our marriage.

Today for our AMAZING Marriages post, we thought we would share with you a few our eccentric travel quirks and what we do to accept them with grace.

PACKING:
When it comes to packing, Liz likes to stuff every possible thing into our carry-ons just to avoid having to check a bag. Liz definitely takes the one carry-on and one personal item very liberally. If the bag has straps and can be carried on her shoulder then it is a personal item. And if the carry-on won’t zipper the first time, sit on it and make it work.

I however would much rather just take a larger suitcase so I don’t have to worry about whether or not the bag will fit in the overhead compartment. Before packing, I like to lay everything out in neat little piles. My dream would be a suitcase with neat little dividers and organizers to keep all of our clothing organized appropriately. And if it’s a liquid … it better be in a properly sized clear plastic bag.

THIS IS YOUR WAKEUP CALL:
Somehow we always end up deciding to book the earliest possible flight in hopes of having just a few extra hours to enjoy at our destination. Because of this, we have to wake up super early to catch our flight. Having just recently missed a flight, I am extremely OCD about making sure we wake up in plenty of time to get to the airport. Each time we book a flight we tell ourselves we are going to book a later one, but we never do.

For this flight, I set two alarms just to make sure we didn’t have a repeat experience. I also like to give us plenty of time to arrive early and then relax at the gate before our flight. Liz on the other hand would much rather enjoy the extra 30 minutes of sleep in our own bed rather then in an uncomfortable airport chair.

Yes that does say 3:50 AM! EEk!

SECURITY (aka a free X-RAY):

Once we have made it to the airport our next challenge is getting through the security check with all of our belongings still intact. Again, if you have read the post about our most recent travel experiences, you know how much of a challenge that can be for us. As we approach the security line, I have already begun the process of disrobing. My jacket is off, shoes are untied and my belt has been tucked safely inside a pocket of one of our carry-ons.

Liz, on the other hand, will do everything she possibly can to make it through the metal detectors without taking off her shoes or belt. She says the floors are “icky.” In fear of missing our flight because Liz is being subjected to a full on pat down for failure to place her shoes on the belt, I grab her at the last minute and remind her that her feet really don’t smell that bad and walking 10 feet in your socks won’t kill you.

BOARDING:
Last but not least, when it comes to our travel quirks, one of the biggest ones that we ALWAYS laugh at occurs just prior to boarding. Afraid that each and every flight is going to run out of overhead bin space and our extremely overstuffed carryon will have to be gate checked, I always make sure we have gathered all of our belongings in plenty of time to stand up and patiently wait for our boarding group to be called. And, if we are flying Southwest, you best believe I was online exactly 24 hours in advance to check in and get the best possible ticket number.

Liz on the other hand always seems to make it a priority to head to the bathroom at the last possible minute before boarding. Although I know she will be back in plenty of time I definitely fear she will somehow get locked in the stall and we will miss our flight.

ACCEPTING EACH OTHERS QUIRKS WITH GRACE:

Although we definitely have a lot of quirks and differences when it comes to traveling, we are always sure to accept these differences with as much grace and compromise as possible. I’ll set the alarm for 15 minutes later then I had originally planned, and Liz will sacrifice that one last pair of shoes that would probably break the zipper on our suitcase.

By recognizing and understanding our own quirks, we are better able to serve each other in our marriage.

And no matter what, we make sure that once we are in our seats together, that we spend the first portion of the flight just relaxing together. This usually ends up with Liz’s head on my shoulder and my head leaned softly against hers as we wait for everyone else to figure out ways to fit their equally oversized luggage in the overhead compartments.