Unfortunately, this post isn’t about the pretty little hydrangea covered island of Nantucket. Instead – I’m venting about my little travel disaster escapade and writing down a few notes-to-self regarding…life.
I woke up early on Wednesday and ordered an uber to the airport for my flight to Nantucket when I got one of those iPhone alerts (that are actually terrifying) warning about flash floods in Chicago. Great. Flight #1: cancelled. Rebooked on a later flight going out that night. But nope, cancelled again bc of weather.
The next morning (yesterday) when I finally landed in NYC after a connecting flight from Detroit, I sprinted from baggage claim in terminal 2 to departures in terminal 5 to re-check in and make my connection to Nantucket. (I WISH you guys could’ve seen my 4’11” self running through the airport with a 50 lb bag and 30 lb carry on – hilarious. Note to self, your shoes do not need their own suitcase Olivia.)
OK – so made it to the gate for Nantucket only for the flight to be delayed 6 times between 3:00 and 11:30 PM. Then cancelled at midnight. The trip was Thursday-Saturday morning, but there were no flights available to the island bc of delays until Friday night. So, long story short, Nantucket was a no-go 🙁
SO. Now that I’m sitting here in NYC (conveniently my boyfriend lives here) in the same clothes from yesterday morning because *icing on the cake* my bag is currently SOMEWHERE at JFK airport, I’ve had plenty of time to sit and think and write, so here we go:
Note-to-Self #1
‘Man makes plans, and God laughs‘. Isn’t it the truth though? I live and die by my work calendar & to-do list, so when things don’t go as planned out in my little control freak mind.. I lose it a little bit. One of the hardest things for me when it comes to my faith, is reminding myself over and over that I am ultimately not the one in control. We can make all the plans we want, but if they’re not on HIS to-list, they’re not happening. I realize a cancelled flight is a very minor example of one of life’s disappointments, but regardless – the message holds true for all circumstances: learning to face our setbacks with resilience and grace showcases not only showcases our adaptability, but is also an important measure of our faith in Him.
Note to Self #2
Human interaction can actually be surprisingly harmonious at times. There’s been so much negativity and opposing views in the news lately, so it’s refreshing when you stumble upon moments of harmony. I know I’m getting a little deep with this one, but seriously yesterday was an eye opener. I feel like there needs to be a word for when strangers meet and something just clicks. Kind of like serendipity – but not – but you know what I mean? I feel like I made a group of great friends during that 9 hour delay – the few of us that actually stuck around til midnight. We made the most of the inconvenience and turned JFK’s terminal 5 into a venting sesh – wine from the bar included – and by the end of the night, we had all exchanged numbers and become official on Facebook. We were all completely different (tall bald man with fluffy lap dog, 60-ish year old New Jersey housewife, single mom with two babies, etc.. it was quite the crew). But strangers from completely different paths of life all getting along in one room is a pretty awesome thing. I don’t know, I kinda loved it. You always have to look for the silver lining in any could, because what else is there ya know?
Note to Self #3
Be smart with your time. Instead of wasting time worrying about what’s setting you back – use that time to focus on something else. I sent 72 emails yesterday at the airport, 72! The highest form of efficiency is learning how to pivot and make the best use of your time in any situation.
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THANKS FOR THE VENT SESH. Love you guys and thank you SO much for all the Nantucket suggestions – they are tucked away in a little list that I’ll *hopefully* get to use in the future! Meanwhile, over here pinning pretty pics of New York on my Friday night.. xo liv
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Aw, I’m sorry you didn’t get to visit Nantucket! I can’t wait to see your photos for when you do go and I’m glad everything turned out alright!
You are right, we don’t have control of certain circumstances and when we remain calm.. it can really turn everything around. I had my own mini freak out on my drive to Pittsburgh today when the GPS took me off the highway into the country with massive traffic and then the GPS took me in a big circle and I had to sit in the same traffic AGAIN.. delaying me an hour! And I cried…. LOL. Glad I can laugh about it now. (But part of me is still a little pissed…)
Hoping I can make new plans to go for the future but right now I’m staying in NYC! But yep – so true – remaining calm is the key. That travel story sounds like a disaster – it’s the worst when you’re stuck in traffic and you can’t control anythingg. Thanks for reading my post Courtney and have a good weekend! – liv
Wow that is insane. I love that you made it a positive and got some work out of the way while making some possible life long friends 🙂 God always works in mysterious ways. At least you could enjoy sometime with your boyfriend!
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Keri Elaine
Hi Keri! Thanks for the note 🙂 God knows what He’s doing up there I guess! Have a great weekend 🙂
I was just telling my sister that I love flying because I love meeting people in the airport. There’s something non earthly that god does in airport bonds because I always find the coolest people literally crossing paths!!!! Love it! (Sidenote, sent you an email with some questions!)
I swear that’s true! Thanks for reading my post Stacy – I’ll try to get back to your email ASAP 🙂
I was delayed at LGA Thursday evening too. I landed in Chicago around 1:15 am when I was supposed to land at 10:25. But I told myself I’d be happy if I got home that night regardless. People at my gate were super friendly and made friends while being a very eclectic group. Not something I expect from NYC but when you’re all delirious from travel, that’s what happens.
Also saw a mouse at my gate. Hate flying out of NYC.
Hahah that is so true – our group was very eclectic too but I guess misery loves company so we all bonded. THE MOUSE hahaha wow NYC airports are something else. Hope you got home ok!
Olivia this post is amazing. Not your awful experiences with all those flight delays and cancellations, but just how you turned that into this brilliant Life Lessons post.
Loved reading this and know that when you finally do make it to Nantucket, it’ll be magical!
Xoxo,
Ashley || Sed Bona
Ash!! Thank you very much. Hoping Nantucket happens some day – hey maybe with my Chicago girl squad 😉
Wow you are just a breath of fresh air! I am so glad you wrote this reminding us that he has a “plan”. I definitely think we have control over certain choices like how we wil choose to react to situations, spend our time and if we acknowledge His hand in our everyday life. I can say that if I do those things in a positive way, bad situations such as this one always turn out for the better! Glad you are okay and what a fun coincidence to have your boyfriend in NYC 😉😉
Gosh Olivia, this sounds terrible! I’m glad you were able to make the best of it. I travel a ton as well. I was recently delayed only 3 1/2 hours out of Las Vegas (no flight crew, then it was too hot to take off and our engine overheated). I missed a friend’s birthday party I planned, wasn’t able to pick up the cake or give the toast. My heart goes out to you!
Tasha Juli
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