OK… this is one for the books…
The challenge of harmony applied to airline travel and life...
I spent this past week skiing in Jackson Hole. Now, I know what you are thinking “poor you”, and you are right. I should be able to put up with a little hassle for the wonderful reward of skiing the amazing mountains of Wyoming.
I have been traveling a lot lately, so I was feeling guilty before I even left home.
I was looking forward to skiing a new mountain, seeing a new state, and catching up with some fun, intelligent and interesting men that I only see once a year.
I was to leave on Tuesday and return on Sunday afternoon. Because I was feeling guilty about my travels, I changed my flight this past Monday to return Saturday afternoon at a price of $300 upcharge on the ticket. “This way”, I thought to myself, “I will be home all day Sunday to help out with the kids basketball, church, etc.” It felt like the right compromise.
So… off I went to Jackson Hole, skied an amazing mountain, had some very nice meals and laughs… Fast forward to yesterday, Friday. I have now skied 3 days and I planned on skiing a few hours Saturday morning before catching a 3 pm flight home.
As I went to bed Friday, I knew a big storm was coming overnight. I got up at 3 am and decided to move my flight up to 7:45 am. It would cost me another $300 dollars, but I would be able to get home to go out to dinner with Susy, and I could surprise her and the kids. I also thought, in the back of my mind, I might have a better shot of getting off closer to on time if I leave in the morning.
So, off I go to the airport in my rented Suburban at 5 am. I got behind a plow that was driving 20 miles per hour. I knew I needed to get to the National Rental Office by 5:20 am to get the shuttle. The rental office is literally 20 minutes away from the airport. I lock the SUV and forget my back pack in it. I realize it almost immediately after I put the keys in the overnight drop box. Fortunately, the driver of the shuttle had a way to get into the lock box. Crisis averted and I got my back pack. It’s 5:30 in the morning and things are looking up.
Now, its snowing, and its snowing REALLY hard. There are probably 6 inches of snow on the ground and its coming down crazy hard.
I get to the airport and they say everything is on time. Sweet! My reservation isn’t showing up, but no big deal, they are able to pull it up on the computer after the assistance of three managers. All is good.
I found a few things in the souvenir store, and am ready to fly. When I question the Delta person at the gate whether she thought there was any concerns about getting out on time, she looked at me with a big smile and said, of course we are getting out on time… this is Jackson Hole.
So, its 7:15 am, I am boarding my flight, and I am feeling great about my decision to come home. I am going to see the boys for a little while and then meet Susy out at dinner. So psyched to be flying home. Now, it is snowing like CRAZY and I am thinking what a day to miss the slopes… but 3 days was fun and enough.
At 8 am, the plane is just about loaded up (Departure time was supposed to be 7:45 am). They finish getting the bags on the plane, and we move off to the deicing area.
The deicing truck comes over, and breaks down. The second deicing truck takes a little while to get over. Now its 9 am, and the stewardess keeps reassuring us that its only a 36 minute flight once we are in the air, so connections should not be a problem. She says this literally 5 times in the span of 30 minutes.
So, I am sitting on this plane for 2 hours reading this book, "There are two ways to wash the dishes..." the book says. "The first is to wash the dishes in order to have clean dishes and the second is to wash the dishes in order to wash the dishes." I don't like washing dishes period (I think to myself). But, I try to hang with it.
"If while washing dishes, we think only about the cup of tea that awaits us, thus hurrying to get the dishes out of the way as if they were a nuisance, then we are not 'washing the dishes to wash the dishes'". "If we can't wash the dishes, the chances are we won't be able to drink our tea either. While drinking the cup of tea we will only be thinking of other things, barely aware of the cup in our hands."
"Thus we are sucked away into the future and we are incapable of actually living one minute of life." Thich Nhat Hahn
Oh man... really?
I am supposed to enjoy this whole experience? I think to myself... While Skiing, how much of my mind was lost in the fact that I was not with my family, or in the thought of when I would return? While traveling, how much of my mind is lost on what will happen next? When I get home, how well will I be in the MINUTE, or will I be working hard on next week's business to do's? I do feel like I am in the middle of a crazy sprint. And, yet, I do feel like I am constantly slowing myself down.
So, which is it? Am I sprinting or am I pausing? Or, am I doing both?
So, now its 9:30 am, and we have been deiced, but the breaking friction on the runway is too low, and in the event that we would need to abort the departure the plane wont be able to stop. They are going to retest it. 5 minutes later, the breaking friction is zero. We can’t take off, so let’s head back to the gate.
The plane stops on the tarmac and can’t pull into the gate because its too slippery, so they need to get a truck to tow us in. Ok… this is not looking so good. The view from my window isn't promising.
The truck finally comes over 10 minutes later, and the pilot comes on to tell us that the plane’s wheels are stuck in the snow and we can’t move. They need to dig the tires out. A few minutes later we are moving again and then back into the terminal. It’s about 10:30. We were on the plane literally for over 3 hours and went nowhere. The problem is… NOW WHAT?
I may not make it home tonight. :-(
Fortunately, on the plane I started re-reading a book called the “Miracle of Mindfulness”. A very timely book. The entire concept is that mindfulness is about being in the moment…. Doing what you are doing just to do it, not to get to the next thing… breathe, Nestor, breathe.
So, I started watching the Godfather movie on my computer. I staked out a key chair by the electrical outlet. I figured if we ended up spending the whole day there, electricity would be a coveted asset.
They are cancelling flights left and right. They mention that the access road to the airport has been closed and the airport is closed. Oh oh… I could be skiing… and instead I am going home early… but NO, instead I am going to sit at the airport and watch what is likely the most awesome powder day on the mountain that I have ever experienced and I am stuck… deep breath.
I likely won’t make it home tonight. :-(
So, I am enjoying the movie starting to wonder if this is going to be a multi day adventure. Over the loudspeaker it comes, “the captain is going to look at the runway and make a call at noon as to what we do next”.
Noon comes, and every flight for the day has been cancelled. “Lets board the plane, we are going to try to take off!”. Now, I am looking outside and it looks even more horrible than it was at 9:30 when we couldn’t take off. I am not feeling very optimistic, but am breathing slowly and just rolling with the crowds.
I might make it home tonight. :-I
At 12:30 we start boarding the plane to Salt Lake City. We reboard the plane. It is fun how situations like this really bond everyone. People aren’t angry. Everyone is smiling and holding hands through this adventure. We are now one group of very curious people. Curious to see what happens next.
The snow eases up a little bit, and the deicing truck doesn’t break down.
I am starting to feel a little optimistic. I see an email from American Express travel that they have rerouted me through Tennessee and I should be home by midnight. Things are looking up. IF we can get off the ground.
Deicing is complete. Pilot says we are going. And, at 1:04 pm, the flight takes off into the whiteness. The plane erupts in applause. I am thinking, we should wait until we actually land this thing, but I like the positive thinking.
A little bumpy, not much visibility, but we are finally above the clouds.
I am going to make it home tonight. ;-)
As we are landing into SLC, I turn on my phone and see another email from American Express. They have rebooked me on a flight for TOMORROW from SLC to Baltimore! Are you kidding me??? No way.
I am NOT going to make it home tonight :-(
It’s only 2 pm when we land, and I figure I need to try something, there is plenty of day left. I am playing out all scenarios in my head. Maybe I will catch a movie in SLC and make the best of it. But, I have paid now $600 extra to get home early Saturday and I am getting home at the same time as I was going to get home originally. Dumb bastard!
So, we land, and I head to the phones to call the airlines. I am on hold with American Express travel, but head over to the Delta phones to see if they can help. They answer rather quickly, and I am excited that at least I can talk to someone.
A very helpful woman comes on the phone, and says “I can get you on the direct flight home from SLC to BWI”. Wooooo Hooooo…. I am so thankful… thank you, thank you, thank you… I tell her.
I get my new boarding pass. I leave at 5 pm and I get home at midnight. Things could be worse.
I am going to make it home tonight :-)
I go back to my movie… Wow… the godfather is a GREAT movie. I won’t have dinner with the boys or Susy, but I will be home tonight. Yay!
I get a call from my cousin in Peru. I can’t hear him. He calls back. I get concerned. I talked to my dad this morning and he sounded very sick. He finally gets through and tells me my dad is in the ER. I manage to talk to him. My fingers are crossed.
I get an email at about 4 pm… it’s almost boarding time. And, its an email from AMEX travel. They have booked me on the flight for TOMORROW at 5 pm, so I wont get home till tomorrow night! So, I look at my boarding pass, and it says tomorrow.
I am not going to make it home tonight. :-(
I go back to the phone help desk. I tell them my story, and they say. “Ooops, I am sure the person who assisted you didn’t see that it was tomorrow. She probably just put in next flight and assumed it was today.” Wow, that is helpful! So, I plead… is there anyway I can get home tonight? I will go to DC or to Dulles Airport… or Philadelphia.
“I don’t see anything available.” Oh no! Wait, I can get you into Philadelphia at midnight. Ok… I will take it. It’s only another couple hundred dollar cab ride, or maybe I will rent a car and drive it. Yes… that is what I will do, I will rent a car.
I am going to get home tonight!
I call 1-800-CAR-RENT and they ask me about 20 questions… and they are so happy to help me. And, then she says, “I am sorry sir, but we are sold out in Philadelphia.” “I can get you one on Enterprise.” Great! 20 more questions, she even apologizes for the additional questions, but she is happy to help until she says, “I am sorry sir, we don’t have any cars available on Enterprise.”
Ok… so we’ll figure it out somehow.
The flight to Philadelphia is delayed… I wil get home somehow.
SO, often I feel that the West Coast is a day trip. It’s only 4 hours by plane… And, today the West coast feels like its lightyears away. Could I hike through the snow over the mountains to get home?
So, here I am. On the plane, happy to be heading East… I am going to make it home, God willing. The view above the clouds is indeed majestic. I try to take in the moment and I start to relax.
By the way, The Godfather is an amazing movie. Even better than I remembered.
I am not sure what time exactly I will get home.
I can’t imagine my bags will have made it. I really don’t care too much, except that I will have to stay to see if they come and then IF they do come, one of the bags are my skis that may not fit in normal cars…
But, God willing… I will get home tonight.
I am trying hard not to make these moments be about getting to the next moment…
What a day to try to embrace the miracle of mindfulness… and yet, perhaps it was the perfect day…
Nestor Benavides
EPILOGUE ;-)
I arrived in Philadelphia at 11:30 pm. I was able to get a rental car for about $200. I got to BWI (Baltimore airport at about 2 a.m. I listened to some great tunes and talked to my family in Peru to catch up on my father's condition. He is holding steady, but not doing great. I will write about him soon. The rental car area at BWI is ridiculously large and far away from the airport. I got to the drop off and there was noone there. I threw the keys on the seat and grabbed my bag and headed to the shuttle. I felt like I was in some kind of never ending movie. I walked about 2 and a half miles to the shuttle stop (a little exaggeration) and woke the driver up on the bus. He didn't seem happy. He dropped me off at the terminal where a few other stragglers mainly pilots and stewardesses.
I was finally in my car... almost home!
I arrived home about 3 a.m. and went on line to enter the information on my bags.
I took a deep breath, ate an unhealthy snack, took of my clothes and climbed into bed at 3:30 am.. with a big smile.
What felt like like a second later, my oldest son was grabbing my arm, wanting to catch up. I was exhausted, but happy to get up and catch up on his week.
I made it home last night ;-) Or, actually this morning.
I sprinted through parts of it and paused through parts of it.
And, I still don't like doing the dishes.
But I enjoyed most of the journey today... as best as I possibly could.
The boys (8 of the 10 of us) are still on the mountain today, enjoying an EPIC Sunday of powder.
And, I am here, happy as can be, enjoying an EPIC Sunday of family and all of the normal craziness that abounds our weekend days.
At last, I did spend over $800 extra to get home. That is what it is. Truth be told, my flight out of Jackson, WY was the last flight out for the day. The flights out today were cancelled. We are expecting snow here in Baltimore tonight so more flights are being cancelled. I suspect, if I hadn't made that choice at 4 am yesterday morning, that instead of getting home late on Saturday night, I would have gotten home Monday afternoon or Tuesday.
And, I would not trade today or tomorrow for anything.
I would not trade this minute for any other minute.
Or, at least, that is the way that I am aspiring to live...
And, I stil don't like doing dishes ;-) But that is for another day.