Day 1: Lessons in Regrouping

Departure day started out very promising. The sun was shining. I did the last trip to the dump with my recyclables and garbage and then went back home to enjoy a leisurely morning. While I was sorting my coloring books into what would go under the seat vs. overhead, I got a text message from United that told me the first leg of my four-leg itinerary was cancelled. Oops.

This was not a good day for flying, after all, it turns out. A fire in Chicago put a stop to air travel. After a few flight management missteps in Burlington, my new flight was cancelled. Back in line, breathing in and out, working hard on letting go. Easier said than done. Amazed at how hard it was to stop hawking how fast the line was moving and whether anyone was jumping the line...all vain efforts at control. When I did let go I was amazed. My sense of patience returned,  I smiled. I decided to be the happiest traveler the beleaguered ticket agent had seen all day.

Then, Natasha B came into my life as I finally stepped up to the ticket counter saying, "Good news." I don't need to go to Chicago. I just need to get to London by tomorrow night." I thought I was giving her a gift. Not especially. Almost two hours later, Natasha handed me a completely new itinerary. I had found out she loves Marilyn Monroe and has everything Marilyn, including a big poster her mom bought for her. She had great acrylic nails painted in red and white. She had never known anyone going to Congo, and demanded photos in exchange for her work. Stro sent several to keep her morale high! Her feet were sore, her ankles were swollen. I told her I would tell the supervisor she needed a stool. But she told me she IS the supervisor. I asked if I could take her photo and post it on Facebook, to which she laughingly agreed. It was another day in the life of a United ticket agent. She was working until 11:00p.m.

In the meantime, my hero Peter came back to Burlington from Woodstock, took me to Hen of the Wood for dinner, and then drove me to the Dartmouth coach the next day to start over. And it was a good day for flying on Wednesday.