Suitcases consume our car’s tiny trunk. We wave goodbye to our dog as we drop him off at boarding. With my hands on the wheel, my wife postures next to me in anticipation. We are slated for Mexico - eagerly awaiting a fun time with friends, training, and more. Fast forward now, three years later…
Our plane hits the brakes in León. I am attending a BroSummit on the far side of Aguascalientes, several hours away. There is an airport much nearer than here. There is a method behind this madness.
My wife and daughter are aiming off in a different direction. León is closer to the friends we longed to see three years prior. By the way. That trip? Never happened. Yours truly, COVID-19.
It is March of 2020. Kinsey is 12 and living with her mom. This is her first expedition out of the country. She just received her very own passport. It takes three tours of traveling to the Post Office and back before we get the paperwork intact. Surprise! COVID hits. It is all so new. No one seems to know anything for certain. Mom is uneasy about it all and decides against her going. Understandable. Playing it safe is sometimes our most valuable option.
All lights are still green for Holly and me. Though, we are more than disappointed over our minus one. Moments pass by. I get the call... “They’re calling it off” the voice rings in sorrow. Ouch! It is not just us who are attending. Several others from the US and various portions of Mexico are gathering to learn lessons on leadership. “They don’t want to risk it.” What to do?
I can accept this is out of our control. I am curious as to what will happen with the tickets we bought. A transfer? A refund? Trying to connect with someone in charge was well… at one point I am somewhere around #475 in line via cellphone. The waiting game is in full swing. The whole world is feeling this!
It takes almost two years of finessing before we finally receive travel credit from the airline. Never do we unload our luggage. Looking to make lemonade out of lemons, we pick up Kinsey and pioneer north for a weekend getaway in Galena, IL. And although the climate is almost polar opposite what we packed for, it turns out to be a warmhearted opportunity after all.
Here we are now. 2023. Three years later. We made it to Mexico. But wait! What is Rene doing here?
Unearthed more of the saga here.... thanks for writing Ken.