Fear of flying

These are my three primary fears of flying:

1. Will they charge me for excess baggage?

2. Will they let me out of the airport?

3. Will they let me in at the other end?

With regards to 2. above… a funny thing happened on the way to Japan: I nearly didn’t get there. It turns out that in order to go into Japan you need proof that you’re going to go out again, i.e. a return ticket. I guess it was a bit naive of me to think that a one-way ticket would suffice. [But then again, why sell one-way tickets if you can’t use them?]

So there you have it. Two years in the making only to be stopped at the airport like a common criminal. All that meticulous planning, the internet research, the questions, the worrying, the sleepless nights, the checking, the double-checking… nearly came to nothing. I could feel the blood rushing to my head as I contemplated the consequences. The extra expense. The rescheduling. The headaches. And the embarrassment at having to explain to everyone that we’re not going to Japan after all because Daddy forgot to check the visa requirements.

Maybe I should have triple-checked.

PS: Happy ending: the four of us will purchase the most expensive type of return tickets, which are fully refundable at a later date. Mr. Mastercard will be pleased, and as an added bonus I’ll score some handy frequent flyer points.