By some measures, everything that could have gone wrong did.
Our outbound flight on Friday was cancelled after 3 hours of tarmac sitting. Our rebooked flight was delayed 3 more hours. Our return flight was cancelled and the next available flight was smack in the middle of the next work day. The birthday cake was accidentally made at a bakery 3 hours away. And to top it off, the sunscreen I’d hoped I wouldn’t be allergic to, has me itching at every inch of my body 2 days later.
And yet.
I spent 11 hours at the airport with my best friend. I read two New Yorker magazines cover to cover. And against all odds, we caught the last flight we could have caught to get there in time. We arrived to the hotel to see six members of my family sitting in the lobby at 11:00 PM.
And yet.
We dressed up for the wedding. We watched two beautiful people say I love you and we danced and sang and let the adrenaline carry our sleepy bodies through those late nights.
And yet.
We had cake. The bakery delivered across the state and the morning after the wedding we sat around with forks from the breakfast buffet and dug into a still moist, still delicious, still personalized with the names of the two birthday celebrants cake.
And yet.
We had an entire extra day of vacation. Our employers were understanding of the situation. We went swimming in the 99 degree sun and let the cool water envelop us. We visited a cool hobby shop and ate at a marvelous sushi restaurant. The next morning, I walked across a pedestrian bridge connecting Nebraska to Iowa.
So, perhaps by some measures, everything that could have gone right did.
Our flights were a mess, but we made it there and back.
The cake address was wrong, but we were able to celebrate anyway.
My skin is itchy, but it serves as a gentle reminder to pack the stuff I’m not allergic to… and of the joy that is to be had at a hotel swimming pool the day after a beautiful wedding when you’ve got nothing but time to spend and togetherness to savor.
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