Sometimes, even the best-laid travel plans can become disastrous. However, with the right attitude and some flexibility, you can find the silver lining. I remember traveling to Alaska a few years ago for a rescue and rehabilitation trip, working with locals on a program for native animals. As you can imagine, I was so excited and honored to be participating in something so wonderful. As the van driver announced the destination, with the scheduled departure being early the next morning, everyone in the group was excited.
That particular day, it was gray outside and raining very hard when we got into the van. The entire trip to the rescue park was in a massive downpour and when we arrived, we found the rain had not let up at all. Instead of pouting, every person in the van donned a raincoat, canvas hat, boots, and anything else that could be found so we wouldn’t miss the chance to see elk, moose, deer, and other beautiful animals up close.
Without doubt, Alaska is one of the most beautiful places in the United States. I don’t know if I’ll ever have the chance to visit there again but I’m thrilled that our entire group braved the weather. Even though we all were soaking wet, we also had the opportunity to see a moose standing within arm’s length. The very sigh of his back being higher than my head was amazing. Describing how I felt is difficult to say the least.
Sometimes, we can plan the perfect trip and have everything organized only to have something go awry. Did we want to get wet that day? Of course not, we would much rather have been dry and warm but by looking for the silver lining, the trip was one of my most cherished moments of life. Next time you travel only to find yourself in a situation such as this, I would encourage you to “go with the flow” and no miss a once in a lifetime opportunity to do and see something truly incredible.