“Travel snafus can throw upside down the most thought-out of vacation plans. But what the mishaps lead to, and how people deal with them, can be blessings in globe-trotting disguise.” – Anonymous
One thing I like to share about myself is that I can get rigid when it comes to planning and scheduling things. I tend to be open minded about many things but when it comes to schedule planning, I like things to be precise and accurate. And when something like that happens to me, I tend to get narrow-minded, stubborn and easily irritated. But a quote like the one above reminded me that we need to learn to relax and see the positive things in all situation. Let me share an example of how this came true to me on my recent trip to Italy.
On one of my recent trip back from Italy, I had a connecting flight that took me from Rome to Madrid to Chicago via Iberia Airlines. In Madrid, I would have to wait 3 hrs before connecting to my next flight out to Chicago. I arrived at the Rome airport around midnight and spent the night at there since my flight was departing around 7am. 6am rolled around and all of sudden the power went out at the airport (at least the terminal I was waiting at). There were bunch of people waiting at the check in counter waiting to get our boarding passes but because there was no power, the attendants could not issue us any tickets. So we waited patiently for next 2 hours until the power came back on. I get my boarding pass and sprint towards my gate. By then since the flight was already two hours late so I knew the plane had to fly faster to arrive in Madrid Spain on time. They arrived with about 30 mins left before my next connecting flight. But I also knew I had to switch terminals to get to my next flight (because I came the same way when I flew into Italy) so I knew it was going to take me about 45 mins to actually get to the next gate. Using my gazelle-like running skills, I sped to my connecting gate with 6 minutes left before departure. I felt like I was going to have a heart attack from running so fast with my camera gear on my back and rolling case.
Once I arrived with 6 minutes to spare, the personal at that boarding gate looked at my pass and told me that my flight took off 5 minutes ago. How can this be? I thought airlines don’t actually leave earlier than their scheduled time. Are you serious? They felt bad because they thought there was no way I was going to make the flight also since they knew I was coming from a flight that was delayed in Rome. Ok fine. So I asked them if they could put me a the next flight. Unfortunately there was only one flight daily that went from Madrid to Chicago – which meant that I had to wait 24 hours. I so wish I was back in the States because I would demand some kind of a monetary refund for this mistake. But because of my language barrier I couldn’t express my frustration. Instead the service center looked at me and told me that because they felt bad about what happened, they offered to put me up at a hotel over night with all expenses paid. At first I was still upset because I was already on the road for two weeks so I was itching to get back home. i had no more clean clothes and was on my last pair of underwear and socks. I just wanted to go home. But this was a moment where I could have made the situation worse and demanded more or another solution to get me back home on time. Instead, I accepted what they gave me graciously and decided to use that opportunity to visit Madrid.
I have never visited Madrid before and was not sure what to expect. Using the little Spanish that I knew from studying it in high school, I wandered around aimlessly throughout the city and was delighted to find a wonderful city full of its own treasures and unique culture. In about 5 hours, I was able to cover most of the city on foot and took some fun photos. Even the hotel and the meal that they provided was actually pretty nice and it was good to get a quick tour of Madrid – for FREE!
Any ways, I learned a lesson there which I mentioned briefly in the quote above. Life can bring unexpected things. I have the tendency to react a certain way to it and miss out on the opportunity that it brings. This was another lesson that I learned on my trip to Italy and I look forward to applying it to my life & my business. Here are just a few shots I captured while I was in Madrid. I hope you guys enjoy it as you ponder about what opportunities wait around the corner for you. Make most out of your circumstances. Carpe Diem! 
Photos from Madrid Spain
Photos from Madrid Spain
Photos from Madrid Spain
Photos from Madrid Spain
Photos from Madrid Spain
Photos from Madrid Spain
Photos from Madrid Spain
Photos from Madrid Spain
Photos from Madrid Spain
Photos from Madrid Spain
Photos from Madrid Spain
Photos from Madrid Spain
For more, visit: My Portfolio | Resources For Photographers | Twitter: KennyKim | Facebook Page
contact@kennykim.com | 800-539-1294
Facebook comments:
Awesome!
Buenisimas las fotos Kenny!
Ariel ~
Wow, what a great post! I am not rigid about scheduling but I get so upset when a trip does not happen or gets delayed and it has happened quite a few times in my life but it is how you react to thing right, life I mean 20% what happens to you and 80% how you react! you were probably so beat and tired but instead you said I am gonna visit this town and it is so beautiful! love the flower shots and the glass with the cars behind, and we must stop and smell the flowers
Tamm – Thank you!
Ariel – Gracias amigo!
Feuza – Thank you for sharing. You are right! Another lesson learned. Stop to smell the flowers. I did do that while I took those shots. They were beautiful and everywhere!
I remember this clearly! What a great adventure you had.
While you were romping around Madrid, we were all sleep deprived on our flight home. Sleeping in the 55 degree airport = no sleep. Ack. You had the better deal!
I wonder how those photos came out under the hood
Aww, I so remember when this happened to you. You had such a great attitude though, and look at the amazing experience you had. Thanks for the reminder to be flexible- something I am continually learning.
[...] posted here: Travel Mishap That Turned Into a Blessing | Chicago Destination … Tags: fresh, life-lesson, side-dishes, well-as-the [...]
Hey KK…. what incredible photos! I can’t wait to get to Spain and see for myself how amazing it is there. I love seeing how you’ve grown so beautifully in your life through your photography! Love to you! xoxoxox ~ Dawn Ps: The Nutella is almost gone!
Great story, Kenny. Like you, I appreciate plans and don’t like to have them changed. Your experience is a good lesson for me as well–sometimes you just have to play the hand you’re dealt. And sometimes you end up with better cards than expected. Cheers!
love the photos, great story. thank you for sharing it.
Hey, Kenny! I rarely comment though I’ve followed your blog since you first started KK Photography.
Thanks for the reminder to make the best of things instead of getting frustrated
I’m usually pretty adventurous and take changes in stride, but this past week has been a doozy with work as clients throw in last minutes requests which had me scrambling with deadlines for other projects. Glad to be reminded that I don’t have to p’od about it haha…
Andrea – I’m glad you commented! I always appreciate them. Glad I could share something that others can relate to. Thanks!
What a great story and life application. I tend to be a lot like you in my rigid thinking on certain things. I think I would have been all flustered and then would have realized what a blessing it was. thanks for sharing your story. The pics were the cherry on top. Rock on dude!
Awesome images Kenny!!!!! Love your heart in the story. Maybe we will cross paths in Italy soon!
long-time enjoyer of your work. saw your site from my good friends hun + grace. great story as well… my wife + i have had several close calls w/ making connecting flights while traveling the world, and as you point out… sometime it’s best to just trust in God and His providence.
blessings + peace to you and your ministry through pictures!