Our alarms woke us yesterday morning to check in for our 5:40 AM flight to Cancun this morning, and we were blurry eyed but ready, finger hovering over the Check In button, when a red alert flashed across our phones that we couldn’t check in because our flight had been canceled.
Turns out, Southwest Airlines is currently a massive shit show. I read last night that 99% of their flights are canceled for today.
Chris waited on hold for 3 hours and 12 minutes (no exaggeration) before he finally got through to customer service. He waited that long because it had taken us probably close to 30 times calling the number and getting either a busy signal or that horrid three tone beep before we even connected. (Hello, Southwest? 1987 called and wants their phone service back.)
So after he finally spoke with someone, they weren’t able to get us there until more than halfway through our trip. So we unpacked our neatly packed suitcases and sadly took out our swimsuits and sun hats and flip flops and piled them in a heap in the corner along with our unrealized beach dreams.
Then in a moment of [totally-un-us-like] spontaneity, Chris shot a quick text to some good friends in Minnesota to ask what they were doing for the next week. Turns out, they’re free. Huh. Also turns out, we have a new car that is a road trip virgin. Hmm.
Oh and also turns out there is a TON of snow right now in Minnesota.
Well we knew there was no way we were going to sit around our house for the next week bummed about the fact that we were not on a beach in Mexico with an endless supply of daiquiris. And besides that, we’ve been trying for, like, three years to get together with these friends, but for random reasons we were 0 for 3 so far on it actually happening.
Before we gave it another thought, we were replacing the beach bags and sunscreen with leggings and beanies and boots and sweaters. And searching the house for every single snack food item we had.
And so this morning instead of getting up at 4 to catch a hotel shuttle to DIA and fly to an all inclusive resort on the Gulf of Mexico, we are getting up at 4 to pile in the car, start an audiobook and head east on I 80 to spontaneously ring in the New Year with some dear friends.
It’s totally unplanned and unexpected. Like snow on the beach.
And you know what? Our kids are as excited about this trip as the one we lost. And I think I might be too.
These Words of Mine 
I love it! You’re still getting all the spiritual blessings of the beach trip, like making family memories, but with magical snow! I see your family in a snow globe with Minnesota snowflakes and winter skyline, and the glow of the globe is powered by love! So happy for you and yours!