On Friday, I flew to LAX Airport in California, where, after scraping a morsel of sleep off the Airport floor, I could not board my flight to Hong Kong due to an incomplete Visa for India.
OUCH.
Rather than remaining a vagrant of LAX Airport, I caught a bus south to San Diego to stay with friends until my eVisa arrived. Stepping from the bus into a bleak night of chilly southern California rain, I felt fortunate to have friends nearby. I ate food and had drinks with a good friend, and schooled my dad in Patagonia’s LifeTime warranty, to both of our benefit.
Two days later, eVisa in hand, I flew to JFK airport in New York City, targeting a much cheaper ticket, and a direct flight from JFK to Delhi. On an overnight layover, I spent one brisk evening at a historic Flophouse turned hostel in the Bowery in Manhattan, and boarded a direct 12-hour flight to Delhi the next day.
Travel inconveniences. When a plan changes abruptly, it hurts. Especially, when you’ve just scraped 2 hours of sleep off the floor. It is abrasive. It disappoints. But, if one can move beyond the upset, and make new plans, they often outperform the original plans either financially, or in some other currency. Perhaps it’s a unique experience you would have otherwise missed? Perhaps, its quality moments with friends and family? These travel inconveniences can be moments you fret about, or they can be moments that flex your ability to adapt with positivity. The choice is ours.
Love,
OOLIN || Hindustan by Backpackers Heaven, Delhi, India