Anyone who's traveled knows that things don't always go according to plan. More often than not, we're faced with completely unexpected things, and sometimes they're not the most pleasant experiences.
I've had a few of these unexpected experiences on my travels. And while these aren't the moments that usually get Instagrammed, they are some of the moments that have taught me the greatest lessons about travel and life in general.
The Bad Experience: Getting stranded in West Texas
In 2017, I road-tripped all the way to the other end of the state for what was supposed to be a few days' trip. What I didn't expect was for my car to suddenly break down in El Paso, Texas, right as we were about to head back. This led to several days of waiting it out in hotels to find out what the problem was. I imagine a car breaking down on you is one of the worst things that can happen on a road trip. And it's a bit worse when you happen to find yourself over twelve hours from home.
What it taught me: How to make the most of a bad situation. Though this was obviously a big inconvenience and not how I wanted to spend the next few days, I soon realized that just because I was car-less didn't mean I couldn't find a way to enjoy the days as we waited. I got to take some neat photos, explore a mall I hadn't been to in years, and discover a new favorite restaurant. The fact that I actually had to leave my car in the city to get repairs (yup, I was without it for several months back in Houston) was a downer, but it also meant I had an excuse to go back, which led to this awesome travel experience.
The Bad Experience: Booking a shady Airbnb
A few years ago I ended up at a really shady Airbnb that did not match up with what I had read in the reviews at all. The fact that this place was in a bad area of New York should have probably been a red flag, but honestly, I didn't know much about NYC at this point. It was definitely a shocking experience to step into a place that did not look or feel safe (or clean), but my friend and I were able to find a way to work things out and only ended up staying there for one night, fortunately.
What it taught me: Avoid Airbnb at all costs. Just kidding. This experience definitely made me more wary about them though. But ultimately, it taught me to always have a backup plan. And that even something as "major" as ending up with a crappy hotel doesn't mean your vacation is ruined. Most situations like that can be remedied, and you shouldn't let the initial disappointment ruin your whole trip.
The Bad Experience: Missing my flight home
This is probably the least serious thing on this list, and something that I'm sure has happened to most frequent travelers. However, up until last year, it had never happened to me. And it was actually something I had always been afraid of. I usually overcompensate for that fear by trying to be extra early to airports (I love hanging out in airports for awhile because I find them somehow comforting, so this is usually natural for me). But on my most recent trip to New York, well, let's just say I failed to account for rush hour traffic. In all honesty, Levain Bakery cookies are to blame (totally not my bad time management...), because I just had to get some before my flight home, even if that meant waiting in line for 30 minutes. That delay led to showing up at the airport ten minutes after my flight time. But you know what? It turned out not to be a big deal at all. I was simply booked on the next flight at no charge. For some reason, I never knew that this was the standard policy for most airlines (if you arrive less than an hour after your flight). But sometimes you learn things the hard way. This was definitely one of those times.
What it taught me: Not to stress out so much when things are out of my control. There wasn't anything I could do once I was on that shuttle on the way to the airport, and yet I spent the whole ride stressed out that I was going to have to pay hundreds for another flight. Turns out all my worries were in vain. And I only found this out after a quick Google search. Guess that's what I get for not doing my research...
The Bad Experience: Getting my stuff stolen on a mission trip
Several years ago I had a pretty crazy thing happen to me and my team on a mission trip (I won't name the country because I had an otherwise amazing time there, so it's irrelevant). While we were sleeping, someone somehow broke into the home we were staying at and stole hundreds of dollars' worth of electronics including phones, tablets and cameras. I only had a digital camera stolen so it wasn't a big loss for me. But it was more so the experience that weighed heavily on all of us that morning after we realized what had happened.
What it taught me: Honestly, there's not much I personally could have done to prevent this situation, but what I did have control over was how I responded to it. Our team could have let something like this traumatize or intimidate us, but it was quite amazing how we were able to surpass it. Ultimately, we realized that since we were all safe, everything was going to work out. And we weren't about to let someone's bad decision cost us our peace of mind for the rest of the trip. I definitely hope to never experience getting anything stolen on a trip again. But it was useful in helping me realize that it isn't the end of the world, and that stuff isn't anywhere near as important as people.
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