An Adventurous Beginning

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A lesson in perspective

When traveling, it’s been a common refrain in my family to say “plan for plan Bs… and maybe Cs…” But as I lay in bed the night before leaving for my semester in Granada, Spain, I couldn’t have foreseen the hiccups the next couple of travel days would entail. From weather delays, to mechanical issues, to an unexpected night in the airport hotel, my first few days abroad were definitely not what I had planned.

It could be easy to think about everything that went wrong: driving to Detroit when the snow in Grand Rapids was crazy, spending four hours in the airport waiting for a new plane after mechanical issues, or arriving in France only to find myself with a missed connection and no new flights until the next morning. All that to say, it was a bumpy beginning, and I found myself having to pivot often.

I won’t lie and say that the entire experience was lovely. But, I am grateful to say that after a couple more plan Bs than I had anticipated, I made it safely to Granada and my lovely homestay. And, as I sit here reflecting on that chaotic beginning, I’m grateful for so many things that happened in those first days.

I’m grateful for the flight attendants who listened kindly and helped me problem-solve. I’m grateful for the kindness of strangers in the airport. I’m grateful for the ability to FaceTime and call my community back home when I found myself alone in the France hotel.

My first week of studying abroad has been full of tremendous learning about a new place and culture. But that first travel experience proved to teach me an important lesson: how I choose to look at things matters. Are things always going to go as planned? No. But can that experience remind me that people are kind and I am capable of problem-solving? Yes.

Here’s to doing new things, learning the power of perspective,
and remembering we are never alone.

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