In January 2018, my mom and I made a small, but costly, scheduling snafu and missed a flight from New York’s JFK to southeast Asia. Yes, we missed one of the longest flights imaginable and one that was supposed to transport us to the exact opposite side of the world to experience new cultures and cuisines, lifestyles and landscapes.
Frustrated, yes. Disappointed, yes. Exhausted, yes.
We were able to recover from our mistake, taking a later flight that meant we had one less night on our tour. We still had an amazing trip through Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam.
While the activities and enjoyment of our trip distracted me from my frustration of missing our original flight, I’m stubborn - so my irritation still lingered.
Sometimes when you make a costly mistake – in terms of money or time, it’s tough to see a silver lining, but with the passage of time, hopefully you can find value in the mistake.
So, while booking a new flight cost “a few” extra bucks and one less night in Cambodia, the mistake afforded us an unplanned night in Taipei, the opportunity to experience first class on the last leg of our journey, and additional time to relax in the Taipei airport – the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. Plus, from the day it happened, the whole ordeal has provided me a “can you believe how dumb I am?” story to share with my fellow travelers.
Here’s to the happy accidents that keep you humble and make the best stories.
Fun in the Taipei airport.