 |
Travel mishaps
are unfortunate accidents. They are pimples in the otherwise clear complexion
of a fine travel day. I’m not talking about those incidents that make us scared
enough to rethink how we travel. I am talking about simple occurrences that can
be prevented but didn’t or couldn’t. Travelers are often in unfamiliar places
so mishaps can happen to us more often. How we deal with them matters.
Buried
in Snow
Early in our
RVing career, we had to return to Washington from Florida for my citizenship
interview with the US CIS. We weren’t supposed to be in the north in November, but
we had to. We parked our RV at the Thunderbird RV and Camping Resort in Monroe,
beside a river so my husband could do some fishing. But when a snowstorm arrived,
we got trapped inside our RV.
With very
little propane left, our lone energy source for the heater and stove, we
confined ourselves to microwaveable meals. Since management could not risk
their pipes freezing, we were forced to scrimp on the little water we had left
in the freshwater tank. But we didn’t
get glued to the TV and Internet. Instead, we enjoyed the new living arrangements.
My husband ran errands and walked through the snow. I was a good girl scout, following
instructions, for a change.
Stranded
on the Interstate
 |
| flat tire on I-71 |
Later we had
a scarier one. Driving down Interstate 71 from Cincinnati, Ohio to Louisville,
Kentucky, the right front tire of the RV blew out. It had eight tires, two in
front and six at the rear in two axles. It was such a loud noise, unfamiliar to
my ears, and I got scared. Bill managed to steer our 20,000-pound rig off the
road. He remained calm and called Good Sam.
Then he found
the Rummikub game and we played a few games, letting me win so I could forget my
fear. But we had to wait inside the RV on a hot afternoon, without air conditioning.
Help finally arrived and the tire was replaced. The rescue truck accompanied us
to Louisville because he said many of our tires needed changing. It was
midnight when we arrived at their shop. We were tired but, as usual, my husband
was that same old boy scout I had married!
Lost
in Helsinki
 |
| Hotel Ava and Institute |
And that is
why, in Helsinki, I panicked when I thought I lost him. After the failed hostel experiment in Oslo,
we chose the Hotel Ava, a very affordable option because it was attached to a
Hotel Management Institute that provided most of the staff. The only problem was
it was twenty minutes away from the city center. A Helsinki card was our
solution, It paid for museums, tours, and cruises, as well as all public
transport. It was a nice feeling to go ‘home’ at the end of the day.
On our last
day, we finished packing early. We waited in the lobby with our bags, ready for
the 3 pm public bus to the airport. We had time so my husband left for the
nearby pharmacy just around the corner. But by 2:30 pm, he had not come back. I
was upset that the receptionist did not give him a map of how to get there and
back. I was in full panic mode, imagining all sorts of things that could have
happened to him. At 2:55 pm, he came in,
got his bags, and instructed me to follow him to the bus stop. I ran all the
way, lugging my carry-on through the cobbled streets, unmindful if it got
damaged. Mr. calm, cool, and collected.
More planning is needed to prevent these mishaps. And how we deal with them when they happen that matters. My husband showed me how. He says, “They are
just that, mishaps, not tragedies!” The right perspective.