You might know about our work and many travels as international consultants. We have been in the air for some 1,500,000 miles. That is for over 3.5 months up in the blue skies, roughly converted into time! That's a LOT, enough to make your 'derrière' almost square. Together we did make a total of 21 round trips to Jakarta, Indonesia, where we have lived and worked for about 3 years, staying for 2 months at a time, 4 x per year. So preparing for our commute to work, from the USA, was quite something. We would fly out from Atlanta on KLM, Royal Dutch Airlines, then partner with Northwest Airlines. Below you will also see our total miles flown...
- Atlanta Airport, waiting for boarding. We would fly over night to Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- After a nine hour direct flight we were in Amsterdam, at Schiphol airport in The Netherlands.
- Making a long phone call with my Parents...
- Yeah, you see my shopping tote from Escada Company Store (my favorite outlet store).
- Here I am waiting for 40 minutes at Schiphol airport, for being able to check into Mercure Hotel Schiphol Terminal click the link.
- For the 12 hour lay over this is the best one can do. You have a quiet room without any windows, twin beds and a shower and you book it for 12 hours at a time. That makes you able for continuing the longest leg of the journey fresh.
link Indonesia US Locator
- From the orange (USA) to the green (Indonesia) is about 19,000 km or 11,806 miles of flight distance one way (from Atlanta, Georgia).
- Amsterdam, The Netherlands is where the blue arrow is...
- With the yellow marker I've marked off the island of Java where we are heading towards...
- Link of: Compare US to Indonesia with more info about Indonesia.
- Our flight to Jakarta would always be on a KLM Boeing 747-400 or on a Boeing 747 Combi.
- Also called La Grande Dame... check link for photo.
- This is the total of Pieter's WorldPerks miles as of July 17, 2007: 1,262,856
- Pieter did accumulate some more miles than I did as he's been to New Zealand for Campbell's Soup by himself...
- Also he was sent by Campbell's Soup with the People to People Citizen Ambassador Program to China besides his travel within the USA and Canada for Campbell's Soup.
- This is my total of WorldPerks miles as of July 7, 2007: 1,133,546
- Those were the great days of service!
- We of course did both have a Royal Wing Courtesy Card from KLM and often got an upgrade into Business Class.
- Thanks to the Royal Wing Card we could always check in at the Business Class counter and also were allowed the extra carry on piece.
- Can you imagine that at that time we could pack TWO suitcases of 32 kilograms (70 pounds) each...
- So many things happened since then.
- We both are fortunate for having been up in the sky during that time...
- Stay tuned for the next story where we travel from Jakarta to our destination...
Remember, this was going to work; not on vacation!
Many have followed us...
i hate to travel now. that 12 hour 'hotel' w/ shower and a bed sounds like heaven to break up that trip! yikes!
ReplyDeleteAnd here I am ~ a big chicken to fly! LOL! I've flown 5 times now. 10 if you count that I had to fly back. LOL!
ReplyDeleteWishing you a beautiful week Mariette!
xo Catherine
Mariette, I am exhausted just reading this :-) I am impressed that you were able to do all this for years in spite of the distance. Still, as you say it yourself, things were different back then. Can you even IMAGINE doing this now with the current state (incompetence?) of most airlines? Scary thought... Veronique (French Girl in Seattle)
ReplyDeleteHi Mariette,
ReplyDeleteAlways great when you finally reach your destination - my goodness that is a lot of flying time you and Pieter have clocked up.
Lovely photos of you.
Happy week
Hugs
Carolyn
That gives a new definition to 'frequent flyer miles', Mariette! My goodness, I think that is almost the farthest point you could fly (unless you were in Alaska or Hawaii)between countries! You look so serene in your photos, but I think I would be so nervous to fly so much. Very nice photos of you. xx
ReplyDeletewe have been in Java Bali and Sulawesi its a diamond I will come back to read more posts Are u dutch??
ReplyDeleteDearst Mariette,
ReplyDeletewhat a nice post and lovely pictures from you :O))
Have a happy day,
love and hugs
Claudia
Liebe Mariette,
ReplyDeletedas finde ich wieder bezaubernd
schön.
Alles Liebe
Elisabeth
Cara Mariette, che bello viaggiare con te (anche se per lavoro)...aspetto altre foto dei tuoi tantissimi viaggi!!!
ReplyDeleteGrazie per le belle parole che lasci sempre nel mio blog, sei una grande amica!
Un abbraccio grande dall'Italia!
Anna
That's a lot of mileage. We've never collected miles because every time we travel we go with a different airline based on layover time (I don't want more than 2-4 hours for a stopover). I can't imagine making that trip 4 times a year. Wow! Have a fabulous day. Tammy
ReplyDeleteDearest Mariette,
ReplyDeleteYou are doing well of the distance for Jakarta,Indonesia are beautiful picture country.
All ways you are doing very well!
Thinking of you ...
Dear Mariette, I hope you will enjoy your staying in Indonesia and don't forget to post! Looking forward to see pictures from there...Many greetings, Jagoda
ReplyDeleteHi Mariette!
ReplyDeleteWow!
You know how to fly!
Next year I hope we´ll visit USA, New York, and that´s a big deal for me..
Lovely photos of you. You have travel more then most people. I must have been a great experience.
ReplyDeleteHugs
Elna
Hello my dearest friend Mariette,
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing all the miles you have covered around the world. Very nice pictures of you, send you a big hug my friend, con cariño
Laura :0)
Dear friend... what an adventure you both have had! To have been able to travel for work and to see all the beautiful places, most only dream of.Can't wait to see and read more... hugs to you both, xo C. (HHL)
ReplyDeleteHi Mariette,
ReplyDeleteThat is a lot of flying. My husband use to fly a lot with his old job.
Dee
Oh Mariette, wat hebben jullie veel gevlogen zeg!! oh naar Indonesie, ik ben Indisch maar geboren in Nederland, Mijn ouders zijn in de jaren '60 naar Nederland gekomen. Ik zou graag Indonesie een keer willen bezoeken!
ReplyDeleteGroet,
Audrey
Dearest Mariette, Thanks for this interesting post. I have never traveled so far away from home. OMG what a mileage account. I don't believe I have ever heard of one so large.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to the next episode.
Love to you, Ginger
Wow you did see much of the world!My husband worked and fly to Australia, Singapore, California and Mount Lorel. And now in France and Europe.
ReplyDeleteYou must have a great experience.
Regards Janny
Hoi Mariette,
ReplyDeleteBedankt voor je lieve reactie!!! zo leuk om te lezen over je ervaringen in Indonesië!!
Liefs, Audreyxx
Dearest Mariette,
ReplyDeleteOh,my!!! Over 3.5 months up in the blue skies☆☆☆ How surprising and very lovely pictures of you at the airport♡♡♡
I have had several travel experience to overseas with airplane but not not business class, haha.
We know you are international consultant but I wondernwhot kind of work it is (^^;)
I was facilitated by the map you showed us♬♬♬
I DO wish you safe flight from now on as well!!!
Sending you lots of love and hugs from Japan, xoxo Miyako*
Orchid again, dearest Mariette♪
ReplyDeleteI came back reading your comment for me.
OMG, what a prestigious person your husband is☆☆☆
I had to go your "search" about international consultant...
Your husband founded the 1st and only practical training college in the world about mushroom growing!!! And published book, had been worked as a lecturer worldwide, worked as a vice president at a famous company in Canada and America; and you also wrote a book.
Well, I just have to apologize about my memory lapse. My husband and I LOVE mushroom and we have varieties of them. I will look into it if I can get more ways to cook them and post it in meal page as well. (haha, not making them, though)
We (all Japanese) LOVE really expensive Matutake, pine mushroom.
I thought I will write here rather than sending you mail.
Love you always dear Mariette xoxo Miyako*
Mariette Dear,
ReplyDeleteOh my....my hometown????,fantastic.Just only Jakarta? will you drop by to Bali then?
i love the sensation in the airport really do...
hear you soon for the trip.
Liebe Mariette,
ReplyDeleteda bin ich auch einmal wieder. Wir stecken noch in den Umzugsvorbereitungen, ein Sohn ist gerade ausgezogen. Es gibt eine Menge zu tun.
So eine Vielfliegerei und so weit ist sicherlich sehr anstrengend, dann ist man gewiß irgendwann froh, sich heimisch irgendwo niederlassen zu können.
Liebe Grüße
Sara
Glad you agree, Mariette!
ReplyDeleteSandy
Cara Mariette,che bello viaggiare per lavoro!!
ReplyDeleteOggi hai fatto viaggiare con te anche me!!;))))
Ti piace il tuo lavoro?
Un bacio grande amica mia,un bacio dall'Italia!!;DDDD
Sabry!!
Liebe Mariette, ich weiß ja schon ein bisschen über dein "wild-bewegtes" Leben - doch es klingt sehr, sehr abenteuerlich für mich, zu lesen, wie viele Meilen du geflogen bist. (Fast schon ein Wunder, dass dir noch keine Flügel gewachsen sind ;o))
ReplyDeleteSchöne Fotos von dir! :o)
Alles Liebe, Traude
Dearest Mariette
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting reading. Many people dream of having such a job with many trips, but you've actually had it for real.
Thank you to share your travel stories.
Love
Kajsa
Dear Mariette,
ReplyDeleteimpressive comparision between USA and Indeonesia.
Best regards
Bernhard