EastGirlsWest

A couple of weeks ago, The Betrothed and I experienced a travel nightmare on the way to a conference. It involved a cross-country flight, a dissappearing connecting flight, a few hours of sleep at a Marriott in the middle of nowhere after a long night of gate-sitting at Dulles, and a day late arrival to our final destination. The icing on the cupcake: my lost luggage. It finally appeared on day 2 of the conference, and I then proceeded to do a wardrobe change every few hours to make up for lost time.

It’s so easy, and somehow satisfying, to complain about bad travel experiences. They are more and more frequent these days, and a loud rant about X Airline is often the only recourse one has in the face of bad weather, mechanical problems, and That Weird Guy Sitting Next To You On The Plane.

Let it be known, I complained plenty about last month’s travel nightmare. In fact, it was such a horrible experience that I was DREADING the thought of getting on a plane today.

However, in the interest of good karma, positive thinking, and a general belief that pointing out when things go well is a license to whine when they don’t…I want to tell you about my great travel day!

No bad weather. Clear skies and sunshine the whole way. No line at security. I had an entire row to myself from San Diego to Cincinnati, so I could put my arthritic legs up. My arrival and departure gates in Cincinnati were right next to each other. They were also right next to a handy shop called “10 Minute Manicure”, so I got one. I had TCBY (white chocolate mousse, my favorite flavor). I had an empty seat next to me on the flight to LaGuardia, and they showed an episode of Will & Grace that I’d never seen. The cherry on top? My suitcase was the FIRST bag to appear on the conveyor belt in baggage claim. And when I walked outside, there was no line at the taxi stand. I rode into Manhattan watching a full moon rise over the stunning skyline.

I’m sure by my next trip the memory of today’s travels will have faded, and something extremely inconvenient will happen, and The Betrothed will be patiently dealing with a major Jess Meltdown at the airport. But knowing that certain future, I had to celebrate today.