In the past three days, I have learned that my easygoing demeanor and tendency for being a bit absent minded can get me into a lot of trouble very quickly.
As I showed up with my two children to JFK airport, after an amazing trip to Iceland, I did not have a care in the world. All I needed to do was get through immigration, reserve our seats, get through the security checkpoint, feed the kids and then wait at our gate for our flight to leave. Sounds simple enough, right? A few minutes before boarding my almost three year old son had a potty accident and we go running for the bathroom. Then a good 10 minutes later we get back to our gate and take a seat next to a nice gentleman who strikes up a conversation with me. He asks me where we are going and I tell him “Phoenix”. We sit and chat and I notice that there is no action taking place at the gate. I say to the man, “I wonder why nothing is happening at the gate”, and he replies, “I heard someone talk about a delay”. So I reply; “Ah, I see” and decide to sit patiently and keep the man company in between calling out to my little rascals who were running around in the waiting area. Actual departure time arrives and I walk to the desk to ask what is going on with the flight. A very frustrated lady replies; “What?! You off to Phoenix? Well, that flight just left! Did you not hear the announcement about the gate change? Did you not hear them call your name?”!
Nope, I did not!!! Although I did hear someone call out a last name somewhat similar to my children’s last name but only the first half of it so I did not think it applied to us. (My children and I do not have the same last name since we are named after an Icelandic tradition).
So, here I am, two days later, still in New York with my little ones, having waited standby at the airport through five flights.
Yesterday, we were told our odds were good for this morning; we were first on the list so we should not spend money on new tickets. Then, a thunderstorm hits the city and all of today’s flights get filled in an instant with twenty people on standby and all of tomorrow’s flights are full except for a single one that had three seats left! I decided to purchase those three seats so we are finally out of the airport and into our third hotel room. As the kids are watching TV, mommy has time to ponder these past three days and the gifts they have given me.
An old girlfriend asked me earlier; “So, you haven’t snapped yet, I would be freaking out by now if this were me!?” No, I have not snapped, probably because it is not really my style, and my 5 year old daughter has been kind enough to take care of it for me with a few challenging moments:)
When my clients go through times of adversity I usually suggest they list out the positives in their challenging situations, and list out things they can be grateful for.
I decided to take me up on my own advice and do this same exact exercise.
So here it goes… 
Things to be grateful for when stuck in transit for three days with two young children:
1. My active imagination for I have thought up a dozen reasons for why I just had to miss this (overbooked) flight. (Pretty convinced someone was REALLY grateful for getting on board).
2. Complementary toothbrush and toothpaste… life savers in their own right, for me personally as well as for the people that cross my path:)
3. Getting to jump into a warm shower after a long day on standby with the new shampoo and conditioner that I found at the airport.
4. Clean hotel sheets… crawling into a fresh and crispy bed is simply divine.
5. For choosing to wear my denim dress for the travel. It actually looks just as good on day three as it did on day one. Only denim can get away with a four day wear.
6. For having worn underwear that dries really fast after a wash in the hotel sink. This should actually be on top of the list, it is that important:)
7. For packing two extra outfits for the kids, (once a mom, always a mom).
8. For my kid’s sense of adventure and active imaginations, even an airport can be an exciting adventure land.
9. For having a husband that misses us dearly but only shows support and encouragement.
10. For having a mom who calls and checks up on us each and every day.
11. Vending machines.
12. For packing a deodorant in the carry-on.
13. For travel companions who are far more excited about going on the air train for the fourth time than they were the first time.
14. For my tweeps who have been quite entertaining.
15. For now knowing Terminal 7 like the back of my hand.
16. For my 5 year old daughter announcing, as we walked into the third hotel we stayed in, a rather worn and outdated Holiday Inn with brass décor, dirty, sticky carpets, and faded floral patterns on old lounge chairs; “This place is gorgeous!”
17. For having little ones that keep me so busy that three days in an airport terminal go by in a blink.
18. For packing the DVD player AND the charger.
19. For wireless internet connection.
20. For my iPhone, it is like a home away from home, and has helped me search for flight availabilities, find and book hotels; keep connected to my peeps and my tweeps, and it has also entertained the kids with music and the several amazing game apps.
21. For the beautiful, caring and giving strangers that I have met along the way such as the nice man who held the elevator open for us and helped me push our luggage, and the lovely receptionist lady that let me check in 4 hours early.
22. For my fellow human beings for they never seize to be fascinating to observe.
23. For my instinct that helped me decide to put my son’s anti-bacterial eye ointment in the carry-on, even though it looked as if he was fully healed. The following day my daughter and I both woke up with the same eye infection.
24. For strollers, they push tired little ones and in between they can hold the carry-on luggage.
25. For being able to yell out in a foreign language; “Get your little butts over here, right NOW!”
26. For make-believe games, made-up stories, stickers, and paper and crayons.
27. For having a sense of humor.
28. For having had money in my bank account to rent hotel rooms, buy food and necessities, and purchase new tickets (the thought of having to spend many nights in a terminal without showers and clean sheets, with two little kids in tow is not so pleasant, so I feel very fortunate).
29. For all the interesting stories I have heard along the way.
30. For being allowed to jump on hotel beds.
31. For learning the lesson I was meant to learn.
32. For three seats having been available for us and knowing for sure that we will be going home tomorrow! Yay!!!
