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Our Journey Home: Leaving England and Everything It Took to Get Here
We have officially left England — and wow, what a journey it was getting here. We’re visiting family in PA right now, but I want to give an overview of what it took to get from our home in England near RAF Lakenheath all the way to London Heathrow Airport, into Philly Airport, and now back in my hometown.
This is what it looked like traveling with 2 adults, 3 kids, 4 pets, and:
- 6 large suitcases
- 5 carry-on size bags
- 2 large storage totes with wheels
- 4 smaller totes
- 1 TV in a box
- Starlink antenna + routers in the box
- Our hammock
- Two duffles
- A folding table + our big scale we used to weigh our luggage
- Two folding wagons
- One car seat
We had around 25 checked-in items, plus we gate-checked one wagon, which was extremely helpful to load backpacks and our youngest to get through the airport.
I want to be transparent about the costs and everything we went through so others know what to expect on an overseas PCS like this.
The Day Before Departure — When Everything Went Chaotic
Starting back at our home, we were scheduled to fly out on 12 November. The day prior, the pet cargo company for American Airlines was scheduled to come at 10 a.m. on the 11th to pick up our two GSDs and our two cats. We arranged this so they would go down earlier, and we had already paid for the vet at their location to handle all fit-to-fly paperwork and health certificates.
We then planned to meet with our letting agent to get new pictures of the home empty, right before our taxi was to come pick us up at 14:30. That morning, we were finishing packing up our last items and making a run to dump a few last things we wouldn’t be taking, like pillows and extra trash. We cleaned up a few areas of the home as well.
While rounding up our cats to get them into their kennel so we wouldn’t be rushing once the driver showed up, we realized Nala was missing. We found her out in our back garden, but she bolted on us — likely scared from all the moving luggage and the atmosphere of the house changing.
We spent a few hours going around the neighborhood, knocking on doors, and looking everywhere with no success. The driver even arrived a little later than expected and helped look, but no luck. Our neighbors were incredibly kind and also searched for her. They planned to keep checking the home later in case she showed up so we could arrange another flight.
At this point, we had to keep moving. It was chaotic, stressful, and heartbreaking thinking a part of our family might be left behind. We had to send the driver off with our two GSDs and one cat. We continued to button up the home as needed because time was running out before our taxi.
Our letting agent arrived, we took care of the new marketing photos, and as he left — with our taxi pulling in — I went inside one last time to use the bathroom. Right as I walked into the hallway, there was our cat. I grabbed her so fast I almost fell. I got her into her kennel, still in disbelief and with her meowing her face off.
We immediately called the pet company. After a few calls back and forth, they tried to get the vet to stay a little later so we could get there before they closed and complete her paperwork. This was the only way she’d be allowed on the morning flight with the rest of us.
Getting to Heathrow — Two Vans, a Rental Car Drop-Off, and Racing the Clock
Because they didn’t have larger vans, two separate vans had to take us down. After loading everything, I still had to drive down to the car rental to drop off our rental car. The vans picked me up afterward, and we headed to the airport hotel inside the terminal.
The drive was a little over two hours. We made it to the vet in time, and she was approved to fly the next day with the rest of us.
- Two vans: over £600
- Hotel: just under £250
At the hotel, the staff worked with us to ensure we had a room with enough floor space for all of our luggage — we ended up in an accessible room to fit everything.
A few elevator trips with a trolley and the help of one hotel staff member later, everything was finally in the room. There was a little store near the hotel where everyone picked something for dinner. If you've traveled with small children and stayed in one room, you know it’s quite the time getting everyone to bed — especially with an 8-year-old, 7-year-old, and 2-year-old.
Departure Morning: Porter Service, Check-In, and Priority Pass
5 a.m. came early. We let the kids sleep as long as possible while we got things together.
At 6:30 a.m., the porters we arranged the night before arrived. Each porter cost £35, and we used two. This was absolutely worth it — they had larger carts that could actually fit everything. They helped unload everything at the American Airlines counter.
Because we were flying on a military move, each person was entitled to five checked bags up to 100 lbs. We definitely used that allowance, with some of our bags weighing very close to the limit. The car seat didn’t count toward our total, and the wagon was gate-checked.
We have Priority Pass with one of our credit cards, so we used the lounge. It gave us a calmer space to relax before boarding and access to snacks and drinks without paying airport prices.
The flight was eight hours — not the worst, not the best — just long.
Landing in Philadelphia — Another Pivot
When we landed, I got a message from the sprinter shuttle driver saying he was broken down on the side of the road waiting for assistance. We had no ride.
I had to arrange another shuttle last minute and thankfully had old quotes saved in my email.
- Last-minute shuttle: $700
After getting our bags off the claim belt, two gentlemen helped us get everything loaded and over to the pickup area. It wasn’t a set-price service, just tip-based.
Before leaving, we had to go to Cargo City to retrieve our pets. There was a bit of a wait, but everyone arrived safely.
We then had to rearrange the back of the van:
Both dogs went into one kennel, and we put the second crate on its side on top of the other because that was the only way everything would fit.
We tipped the driver an additional $100 because he came in on his day off and worked hard to help with the luggage and unloading.
Total Pet Shipping Costs
A full breakdown is coming, but the total came to around $5,000 for everything — fees, paperwork, vet services, crates, transport, and airline cargo charges.
Final Thoughts
This was a long experience — emotional, stressful, chaotic, and expensive — but we made it. All five of us plus all four pets are safely stateside.
I plan to share a deeper dive into the pet shipping process next and break down the official pricing line by line.
If this helps another military family prepare for their PCS, then sharing all of this is worth it.
📌 Continued Updates: Vehicle Shipping Series
If you missed last week’s feature on our new partnership with TransGlobal Auto Logistics, you can read it here:
🔗go.tgal.us/kimber-news
Over the next few issues, I’ll be breaking down even more of the process — including a full behind-the-scenes look at the military shipping portion, what to expect from your VPC, timelines, costs, and tips to avoid delays.
If you're preparing for a PCS or planning ahead, keep an eye out — much more insight is coming.
🔗 Stay in the Loop
I can’t wait to bring you along as we make this transition—new home, new land, new opportunities to turn every step into progress.
👀 Until then, you can explore past issues, digital downloads, and more right here:
👉 https://linktr.ee/Thepathlessjourney
Until next time, keep building, keep learning, and keep finding your path. - Kimber
