Canceled and delayed flights turn into a delight

My flight(s) en route to Puerto Rico were not without a few challenges. After sitting on the plane at the gate in Seattle for nearly an hour…in a stifling hot cabin, the flight was eventually canceled and we were allowed to disembark. As a seasoned traveler, the first thing I did was get on the phone to try and book a new flight, as the 150 or so passengers lined up at the gate to try and do the same thing. I was supposed to fly from Seattle to Miami, then to San Juan, but found a flight from Seattle to Chicago, then San Juan… it would only get me there a few hours later than my initial flight. After 30 minutes on the phone I was able to secure one of the last remaining seats.

I was excited that my new flight to Chicago would be leaving in a mere 40 minutes or so…that was until it ended up being delayed by more than two hours. I spent my time wandering the long corridors of the airport, finally finding a quite place to try and get some shuteye…it was now nearing midnight and my flight would not leave for a couple more hours. Sleeping at an airport is kind of a futile effort as nearly all the seats have those damn armrests that prevent stranded passengers from getting any rest at all.

As I said, I was lucky to nab one of the last remaining seats on the flight, which happened to be a window exit row. I was excited to have the extra room and to try and get a bit of sleep, but destiny had other plans. One of the last passengers on the flight was a very tall individual…7 foot as a matter of fact. This poor guy had the middle seat next to me and could barely fit into its confines. We immediately struck up a conversation and really hit it off. I was no longer interested in sleeping, but rather hearing this guy’s fascinating stories. I don’t want to be a name dropper, so his name and some details of our conversation will remain private. I will say this…at 7′ tall, it probably comes as no surprise that this guy played basketball. As a matter of fact, he is a retired NBA player and former Olympian. He is currently a reining champion at a game I was unaware was competitive…but that too will remain undisclosed. 🙂

So, here’s the coolest part…because my plane was canceled…I got to meet a really cool and interesting guy. And, he invited me to his house next Friday for a party he’s having. So, the next time life throws you a curve ball…take it in stride and consider there may be a reason or forthcoming opportunity. 🙂