That's Part of It!

Nearly 24 hours later and I am finally settled in to good old.... wait for it.... BOSTON. Yup. Not what you were expecting, huh? Me either. Unfortunately my plane to Madrid was delayed for so long they ended up canceling it. Honestly, if there were that many "technical difficulties" I wouldn't feel comfortable taking that plane 3,000 miles over the ocean anyway. The good news is the airline arranged for a lovely hotel for all the passengers (though they had to taxi us 40 minutes away from the airport), we had a delicious complimentary breakfast this morning, a couple of meal vouchers for the wait at the airport and they are taking care of re-booking our flight, including missed connecting flights. Not to mention, this has given me an opportunity to make friends with other travelers and fellow auxiliares de conversacion that happened to be on the same flight! :)

Upon visiting a friend in Brooklyn this past summer, he once said the wise words "that's part of it!" regarding the "true New York City experience." He continued to repeat this phrase after just about everything we saw and did on the trip, be them good things ($0.99 pizza slices, inspiring tourist sites, beautiful parks among the hustle and bustle) or bad things (expensive cab rides, hot and smelly subway, encounters with crazy people, homeless people, crazy homeless people)... It sounds silly but it's true -- those things are all part of the NYC experience and like any new endeavor, you have to take the good with the bad.

My journey, which has only just begun, has already been filled with ups and downs that are all part of the globetrotting experience. I've had to say hasta luego (not adios!) to friends and famiy that mean the world to me in order to do this magnificent thing for myself - that's part of it. I had to organize my entire life and downsize my closet in order to cram 9 months worth of belongings into a couple of suitcases, then had the pleasure of tearing apart my suitcase at the airport for it being 3.5lbs overweight - that's part of it. I've also gotten to sit in the airport and watch planes take off and people hustle about, wondering what their life is like and where they are going and reflecting on my own adventures and the places I'm going - that's definitely part of it.

But perhaps the BEST part of it is meeting people along the way. Every person has a different story, yet we find common links that bond us. So far, during this flight-crisis alone, I have met a couple en route to Rome, a Frenchman on his way back from Cali, a music-loving globe-trotting older couple, a man from Barcelona "the best city in the world according to me mother!" as well as a college student studying abroad and about 8 other awesome, adventurous young people teaching in Spain. While the world can seem so big at times, especially when traveling far from home, by sharing stories we are reassured that it's not quite as big as we think. That's not just a part of it, that's what it is all about. Everyone has a unique story worth telling. Keep checking in for more of mine! ;)

The infamous flight 6166 crisis is coming to an end as we anxiously await our boarding call. It's actually been pretty fun, having travel buddies that also have a love affair with Spain as I do. This is where we part ways, but I have a feeling we'll run into each other again. Here's to hoping we'll be out of Boston Logan and in beautiful Spain the next time we meet!

Abrazos <3