OuT of CoNTrOl

I’ve learned a lot about myself and about life over the past few years, that I wish I could go back and smack myself upside the head with! I know now that Yes, Mom and Dad “YOU WERE RIGHT.” But some of us have a different path, a path that may not be as direct as others, but gets us to our own end goal. I may have taken the more scenic route, the harder route, but I have experienced some of the most beautiful things this world has to offer. Part of the reason for this is that I am a very stubborn person and believed that if I just worked hard at something that eventually the end result would be what I wanted. Unfortunately, that’s not the way the world works. People make mistakes and things will happen in life that are out of your control.

This brings me to our London trip! I had completely prepared, booked the hotel, check. Booked the flights, check. Packed only what I needed for a few days, which for me was HUGE!!! I used to be horrible at over packing. Who needs 5 pairs of heels to go to Vegas??? I had an itinerary of things to do and an umbrella just in case it rains. Yep, I was ready, a real jet setter! The trip for the most part was a total success. We got around on the metro (which was really clean), saw some really awesome sights, ate some good food and froze are booty’s off! It snowed almost the whole time we were there, but it was beautiful!

London Calling

Abbey Road

Dinner at Ceviche

Big Ben

It wasn’t until the end of the trip when everything turned into the worst nightmare EVER! We had enjoyed running around our last day in London and finished up our day with some dim sum and headed for the airport. Everything was moving right along according to plan and then I heard it……a weird beeping as he scanned my boarding pass. The man called me back and scanned it again. The screen lit up bright red informing us that my boarding pass was for the same flight on the next day!! I couldn’t believe it, all that double checking and preparing and I didn’t even notice that the date was wrong. As we scrambled to get on an earlier flight, a train or a bus I started falling apart! How could I have done something so dumb! After several train trips back and forth between the airport and train station and even one to the bus station, we had to find a hotel to stay in that night. By the time we shared our last meal of pasta salad and horrible cider in our hotel room it was midnight and we had to be up in four hours. We woke up early and bundled up for our cold icy walk back to the station to catch the earliest train to the airport. We were able to get my boyfriend on the early flight, so he would make it in to work, but I would have to wait until three o’clock.

I had nothing, but time to think about flying to another country and navigating my rather large backpack on the 45 min train ride home. I was not looking forward to nine hours alone in an airport that had no wi-fi and not much around, since it was a smaller airport. I decided that I would try to curl up in a chair in the Starbucks and try to sleep. It was freezing and so busy, I couldn’t really fall asleep, because I was afraid someone would steal my bag. I didn’t want to leave my spot since it was by an outlet and listening to my music on my phone had begun to drain my battery. I tried plugging it in and it wouldn’t work!! I began a search to find an outlet that worked and seriously contemplated unplugging a condom machine in the women’s bathroom! Thank goodness I had one of those portable battery chargers my boyfriend left me. I had to give up my music, but in doing so I was opened up to the humanness that occurs everyday in an airport. It was amazing to see a cheerful man a little younger than myself smiling as he picked up trash left by the busy people at empty tables. He came around my area a few times, once stopping to chat with me about the nonfunctioning outlets. Every time he was smiling, although people ignored him or dismissed him. The last time I saw him that day, I overheard him praying and thanking God as he cleaned. It was a very humbling experience and I knew that it was God’s way of telling me that it was going to be okay and I would make it home safely. When I finally was allowed to check in three hours before my flight I headed straight for the cafeteria. I grabbed a sandwich some wasabi popcorn and pulled a seat up to the bar. The time flew by as I enjoyed my lunch with, Earnest Hemingway, listening to Peter Gabriel and Johnny Cash. It turned out to be an amazing day and I met some very interesting people along the way and even made a new friend, whom I spent the day with at the Louvre. Life can surprise you, sometimes in a good way and sometimes a not so good way. The point is if you let go and realize you don’t have control, you will be pleasantly surprised, more often than not.