I have recently run into some problems with travel. See, I’m currently in Belize attending an archaeology field school called BVAR (Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance Project). The problem is, I needed to be here on June 2nd but after several delays ended up arriving the day after.
The whole ordeal made me start to second-guess my willingness to even come here in the first place (after paying $4000 to go).
Here’s the thing, though: if you avoid looking at an unfortunate circumstance as a setback and a disappointment, you can end up with more positive memories of your adventure. Here’s how.
First, the story of what happened.
The night before my flight (around 10:30 PM), I got an email that it had been delayed. The original plan was to arrive at the airport 2 hours before my 5:40 AM flight from Spokane to Dallas.
The flight was now taking off at 9 AM instead. This meant I would land in Dallas for my connecting flight around noon. My flight to Belize would have been landing in Belize around the same time, meaning I would miss the flight. After several phone calls and looking at flights, we found a flight from Missoula, Montana (a 3-hour drive from us) to Dallas that would get me there on time, but that left at 6 AM.
I packed everything I needed, got an hour of sleep, and we left at 2 AM. On the way there, we realized that there was a time change and Missoula was an hour ahead of us. I would be getting there right when the flight left. We were making an effort to try to get there faster, so I reached the airport at 5:45. The flight hadn’t taken off, but I couldn’t check my bags, print my boarding pass, or go through security.
We missed the flight. After getting help from some of the people at the front counter, we found a way to get me there. It would require me to arrive a day late to the field school, and transportation had only been arranged for the original day of arrival.
So, several hours later, I boarded my flight to Dallas. When I arrived there, I booked a hotel through the airline (who was willing to pay for my room and a meal). I arrived in Belize the next day, where transport had been arranged for me and two other field school students who faced similar delays.
Turning it into an Adventure
What is an adventure? Sure, it’s a journey into some unknown territory, but in every good adventure story, there are setbacks. The adventurer then has to find a way around those obstacles and learns some profound thing along the way.
The only way to really deal with a situation like this is to change how you look at it. After I got on my first flight, I reminded myself that it’s all an adventure. The goal of travel is to experience a new place, sure, but it’s about the journey just as much as the destination.
Having this experience gave me an icebreaker to start up conversations with the people at my field school. It also made the whole experience memorable as more than just getting on a plane and flying to my destination.
Being adventurous means taking things as they come. Appreciate them as new memories and experiences, whether they’re good or bad.
Of course, I’m not saying you shouldn’t come prepared. You should know where you’re headed, and make sure you’re aware of things like changing time zones. But there are always situations you can’t prepare for, and when you face unexpected obstacles, remember what I talked about here.
If you want to know what archaeology field schools are like, check out this article.
Edit November 8, 2024
On my recent trip to Ireland and Scotland, I faced a similar setback. It wasn’t as dire as my setback on the way to Belize, but I want to talk about it here.
We spent several days in Ireland before taking a plane from Belfast to Glasgow. Once we got to the airport, though, we learned that there are apparently two different airports in Belfast. We went to the wrong one, and had already turned in our rental car.
We found some taxis outside that drove us to the other airport and learned that even locals make that mistake.Thanks to these taxi drivers, we made it to our flight well in time, and flew into Glasgow for the rest of our trip.
These things always happen on a trip. You forgot something, you missed a deadline, or a reservation messed up. Take it in stride. There are people who can help you. Genuine people who want to help. The best way to be prepared for unexpected setbacks is to expect one to happen somewhere. You will get through it, and it will be part of your memories of the trip. Maybe even a good one later, or one that you look back on and laugh.
Edit March 17, 2025
I’ve been thinking about this idea more recently, and the time spent traveling in general. I find that, usually, I barely even remember my flights and airport time, even on long journeys. Sure, I know they happened, but they don’t even come into consideration when I think about these trips. So if you’re running into problems with your flight, remember that those aren’t the memories that’ll stick with you!
Conclusion
Thanks for reading! I hope this was a fun read, and can help you to get more enjoyment out of your journeys!
What’s a travel setback you’ve experienced? I’d love to hear the story and how you dealt with it!
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or something I can clarify, make sure to let me know below! I’ll get back to them as soon as I can.
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I love your article! A positive take on a frustrating situation!