“They say all good things must come to an end.  Whoever ‘they’ are should mind their own business.” – Tom Herkey

Woke up early to get ready and finish packing.  Our ride to the airport is arriving at 7:00 am, so no dilly-dallying this morning.

The canal looks beautiful, not a ripple to be seen.

Once we’re finished, we head down to the lobby.  This has been another wonderful hotel. We have been so impressed with the staff here.  Seriously, every single person has gone out of their way to be friendly and help you get the most out of your time at the hotel and Amsterdam.

Our taxi to the airport arrives a couple minutes early, but we’re ready.  We went with the electric option, so our taxi is a Tesla.

Since they try to promote environmentally clean vehicles, the cost was the same as taking a regular taxi.  Great car – comfortable, great pick-up and a smooth ride.

We get to Schipol Airport and check-in couldn’t be easier.  Since we’re business class, they have a separate area to check-in and a separate security line.  Same rules, just a shorter line.

So we do the TSA dance – electronics out, bags open, step into the scanner and out you go.   Something showed up so I had to have the pat down. Arms up – coochie coo!  Open belt – comfy travel pants and voila – pants slide down.  I was pantsed!  Quick tug back up – and we’re done!  An international incident to add to my repertoire!

The wait wasn’t too long.  We could have used the Delta lounge, but logistically it would have been a long walk and long walks were not what I needed.

Boarding was easy and in no time, we were ready to go.  Our seats fold down flat, so after they filled us up with “delicious airline food” (yes, I really said that!) we were able to get comfortable and snooze for a little while.

Arriving at JFK, the fun part starts: passport control and customs.  It took us 25 minutes to get in, get our luggage and re-check our luggage.  We have been in line for over an hour just to get our passports stamped in the past.

So here’s the secret:  If you intend to travel internationally, pay the $100 and get Global Entry.  In fact, your credit card might even cover it for you – check your card perks.  You scan in your passport, place your hand on the screen to match your fingerprints and they snap a quick picture.  You get a printed receipt and hand it to the agent – that’s all.  Then you look at the long lines and smile as you get your luggage.

Went up to the Delta lounge and had a couple beverages while watching the planes takeoff and land.  Saw online that there was bad weather moving towards the airport, so we crossed our fingers.

We boarded just about 10 minutes late, pulled back from the gate, started to taxi and then ATC put on a hold.  Darn – so close.  We sat on the tarmac for about an hour before we were cleared for takeoff.  Funny part is it never rained at the airport, but as we were ascending you could see the clouds.

Kudos to our flight crew for avoiding the weather and keeping the turbulence to a minimum.  An hour later we were landing in Buffalo.

We grabbed a taxi and twenty minutes later – Home Sweet Home!