Friday, September 25, 2009

An Early Lesson in Flexibility

I finally made it to Philadelphia for staging after a loooong day (I left the LA hotel around 6:30am PST and arrived to the Philly hotel around 8pm EST).

The trip started out rocky for multiple reasons: 1) Saying goodbyes to family is always hard, 2) Being really tired is not a fun way to go, and 3) Somehow missing my 8:40am flight is not good.  So, needless to say, the trip did not start as well as I had hoped.

I thought I was doing so well on time: arriving to LAX really early, being prepared.  And then to barely miss my flight totally sucked.  I literally saw the flight attendants close the doors right as I was heading to the gate.  And then when I knocked on the door, they didn't turn to acknowledge me...and off went my flight.  As I semi-freaked out and tried to get a new ticket, my family decided to leave (that way I wouldn't have the option of backing out).  From that point to getting on a second flight, I felt like a chicken running around with my head cut off.  They sent me from United to US Airways (where they gave me a ticket with no seat and later told me the flight was overbooked).  God totally worked it out and got me on that flight, just an hour and a half after my original flight.  Once on that flight, I kept thinking about the fact that all my checked baggage was on the previous flight with United while I sat here on US Airways.  Questions started running through my head like What if something happens to my luggage while I'm by myself in a new state about to leave the country?  But like always, God came through, and got me to all my luggage (literally right as the guy was taping it off with the other left baggage).  I was then told to take a shuttle to the hotel.  Unfortunately, the Hampton shuttle driver told me he couldn't take me to my Hampton hotel because it was too far away...so I had to take a taxi for $28.50! [Ridiculous!]  But I finally arrived to my hotel safely and with all my luggage.  I got placed in a room with another gal and we've been getting along really well.  So, the day came to a good end.  Now we just have staging here until heading to Ukraine!

Looking back on the day, I am reminded that one of the qualities Peace Corps seems to emphasize is flexibility.  Boy did I get a lesson in being flexible!


"Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might." ~Ephesians 6:10

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