How long does it take to get from Antigua to Atlanta? The total airtime is about six hours. With layovers or delays, it could take twelve hours or more.
If you’ve ever traveled by plane, you know about the unpredictability of flights. Due to a reported technical glitch on Monday, Delta passengers found their selves stranded in airports. I experienced a 2.5-hour delay on American Airlines.
We arrived last Wednesday after two flights from Antigua. We stopped in Miami and then boarded a second plane to Atlanta. The customs agent asked, “What brings you here?”
An American Airlines plane, our feet, shoes, and my father’s retirement services are among the items and events responsible.
"We'll we are here for his Dad's 50th pastoral anniversary and what will be a family reunion,” my wife replied. After scanning our passports and taking additional pictures, the agent nodded, and we crossed the airport’s border into the US.
I made the children take a picture in front of the Atlanta International Airport’s Welcome Sign. They were exhausted from traveling but complied. We picked up our luggage and headed to the rental car’s office.
The trip was expensive, from purchasing the flights to reserving the rental car and hotel room. But, we traveled to Atlanta to celebrate my dad's retirement from the Church of Christ Holiness. After 50 years of pastoring churches in multiple cities, we sacrificed the resources to be there and support his transition to rocking chairs and afternoon naps.
All jokes. He is planning his next pastoral venture as I type this sentence.
After settling into the hotel, we awoke the next day to shop for the children’s school supplies. We picked up shoes, pencils, pens, and book bags from Target at a fraction of the cost of purchasing similar items in Antigua. Day one ended with a meal from The Cheesecake Factory and the first of many family reunions.
My Aunt Pat surprised everyone and traveled to Atlanta from Benin, West Africa. No one expected her to attend the national convention, but she was determined to celebrate her brother. After at least seven years, it was good to see her again.
We also connected with cousins and many friends I grew up with during my father's term in Chicago.
After Wednesday’s travels and Thursday’s reunions, we drove to Savannah. Ever since my wife watched the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, she has wanted to visit. The book and film take place in Savannah, Georgia.
It took us four hours to drive there from the hotel on Friday.
Once in Savannah, we stopped at Forsyth Park, the First African Baptist Church, several landmarks from the Civil Rights Movement, and the Jon Bonaventure Cemetery. After eating a meal and drinking coffee for the ride home, we turned around.
The rest of the trip went to family. We ate, played, worked out, and attended church together. On Sunday, we discussed the possibility of Kamala Harris being president.
If you had sat near us at the restaurant, you might have heard something along the following two lines. A Black woman against Trump’s crusade will not be an easy battle. The next few months promise an exciting race in US politics.
Seeing my dad preach his final sermon on Monday stirred memories and emotions inside me. I remember growing up in Chicago and being dragged to church every Sunday and Wednesday. Occasionally, my mom bribed us to attend Sunday school with breakfast from McDonald’s.
Without any incentive other than to support my parents, my sisters and I attended his last service in the hotel’s ballroom.
After the benediction, I closed one chapter of my life. My family used to attend every annual church convention. Years went by fast, like the pages of a bestselling novel. The trip clarified the Divine author behind each experience endured to this point.
When I returned home, I received word of a childhood friend who passed away. I saw her mom in Atlanta. Join me in supporting her children to cover funeral expenses at this link; any amount you contribute will help.
Did you hear what happened to Sonya Massey? An officer killed her in her kitchen.
Every moment is a blessing, from travel delays to retirement celebrations with family and friends. It’s hard to appreciate the seemingly mundane times, but it's worth trying.
In addition to this post’s pictures, the video below shows some highlights from the trip. Subscribe to this blog for similar content delivered to your inbox. Buy one of my books or learn more about coaching services here.
Your Dad raised a champion of champions.