Solo Travel, Snowstorms, and Spilled Coffee

Today I left the snowy Midwest behind and headed for Orlando, Florida — on my very first solo trip there. And let me tell you… the journey did not go exactly as planned.

It started on the runway, where we sat for two hours waiting to be de-iced. Two hours of watching the clock, doing the mental math, and quietly hoping my connection would somehow wait for me. Spoiler alert: it didn’t. I missed my connecting flight by five minutes. Five.

Somewhere between rebooking and regrouping, I spilled coffee all over my shirt. Coffee I wouldn’t have even been drinking if I’d made my flight in the first place. If there’s a travel mishap bingo card, I was well on my way to a blackout.

Old me might have let that spiral. I might have decided the trip was doomed before it even started. I might have let frustration win and carried it with me the rest of the day.

But this time, I took a breath.

Because even with all the delays, missed connections, and coffee stains, I’m still doing something big for myself. I’m traveling solo. I’m stepping outside my comfort zone. I’m choosing adventure over perfection.

This trip doesn’t have to be flawless to be meaningful. It doesn’t have to go smoothly to be good. Sometimes the mishaps are just part of the story — the parts we laugh about later, the moments that remind us we can handle more than we think.

So yes, today was messy. But I’m still on my way. And I’m choosing to believe this trip will be happy, memorable, and exactly what I need — coffee stains and all.

Before you go:
Have you ever had a travel day go completely off the rails? How did you handle it — or how would you handle it now?

Until the next chapter—may your coffee be strong and your heart stay open, and you always lead with kindness
— Jen