I was in Germany when the volcano in Iceland erupted. When it happened I didn’t really think it would affect me, hah! All flights were canceled out of Germany and the initial word was that it might be 2-3 weeks before they would reopen airspace. The feeling of helplessness was overwhelming because there were no options.
I considered taking a train to Barcelona and flying from there, but the way the winds were predicted I might get there and still not be able to fly. My husband, John, was in Germany for work and was going to be there until 4/24. So, I had a place to stay and a car to get me around, unlike the many people who slept at the airport for 5 days.
I was supposed to leave on 4/19. I couldn’t get through to the airlines in Germany, and then realized that it wouldn’t help me anyway since the message for press 1, press 2, etc would be in German. I’ll post another blog talking about the wonders of technology to share how I finally got booked back home. But, here I want to talk about how I felt.
There was a sense of anxiety because of the unknown. I kept telling myself to settle down and it would all work out. However, in the moment I wasn’t too successful because I didn’t have a seat reserved on any plane and had no way to contact anyone. The happy ending was that the following day I did get a seat for 4/26. I was immediately able to breathe and plan what I would do with this bonus time.
This entire trip was a lesson for me of minding my mind and going with the flow. Some times I was really able to do it and other times it was a struggle. The good news was that I was aware of how I was feeling and ultimately able to let go. Then again, I’m not sure how much the letting go was due to the safety net of having a plan B or that I was letting go and trusting that it would all work out. I’m going to count it anyway!
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