Julia and I just got back from a 23 1/2 hour whirlwind trip.
What was supposed to be an overnight trip to New York to see Jon Batiste on the Today Show Plaza turned into an overnight trip to Charlotte.
We learned that our flight to New York had been cancelled and there was no other option to get to New York in time.
The Charlotte airport was completely packed with stranded travelers. We saw the frustration and weariness on people’s faces and in their moods. Some were even running through the airport.
There was a mother of two young children (probably 2 years old and 3 months old) on our flight traveling alone back to Alaska where her husband is stationed. Both children screamed for a good bit of the flight. I had so much compassion for her. I could tell she was a little overwhelmed but she totally kept her cool. I offered help several times to which she declined.
We took an Uber to my mom’s (empty) house because she was out of town. Thankfully, we had a place to go. Many of the stranded travelers did not and they were not sure what to do next. We had the best Uber driver ever. He had mints and water in the car for his passengers. He said his wife recommended he do that. He was really very delightful.
The next morning, another Uber driver picked us up and took us to the airport to pick up our rental car to drive back home.
Before we drove back home we decided to go to our favorite breakfast place in Charlotte that we go to every single time we come visit; Bruegger‘s bagels and Caribou coffee!
It’s amazing how such a simple thing like a warm bagel and a good cup of coffee can bring so much joy and delight.
Other than being extremely disappointed, there was really no upset about the whole situation.
We really wanted to make the best of it and the best of our time together no matter what.