Yesterday I had big plans, tackle my overflowing inbox that was unopened for 3 full days. Yet, a text disrupted my whole day. Our flight to Boracay has been cancelled!!! The only other flights were 5:25AM both ways, which is insane!
So… what do we do? I was chatting with the other family that is going with us and they are also annoyed by the cancellation and even contemplated not going. After a full day in weighing our options, I told husband that this is stressing me out (not in my nice way). That was my last word on the matter before I went out for a walk with the girls. I needed to get out of the house and just let the steam out.
As I walked with the girls who were entertained by themselves. I thought I should apply the essentialism method to this situation. The most important question that I needed to answer was whether WE REALLY WANT TO GO. There are so many cons for this decision:
- logistics stress: what about more flight gets cancelled?
- safety measures: we need to all get tested by PCR before the flight
- hotel/beach status: whether they are applying all the protocols, whether activities are opened, etc.
I thought I had the answer to the fundamental question, that we want to go despite uncertainties and extra actions needed. But when the other family hesitated, it made me hesitate too, which means I wasn’t sure. So, I thought about it more, all the reasons that we want to go and concluded that WE DO WANT TO GO, alone or with company. Once that answer was clear, everything else felt less overwhelming, they became tasks and not questions.
- flights. It’s true that the new flight can be canceled again. In that case, we will just rebook another carrier. It will be more expensive, so be it.
- PCR test. I’ll arrange it today for a drive through swab. The hospital is 3 blocks away so shouldn’t be too much trouble.
- hotel. I already have a reservation (cancellable anytime) with a hotel that will open only 5 days before our arrival, so I might change to another hotel that is more established and has more safety protocol in place.
- safety precautions during travel. I’ve ordered PPE for all the family for the flights. I will call the hotel to inquire their protocols for dining and common area.
- mindset. We all need to be flexible and embrace whatever comes. Maybe we won’t be able to do island hopping but we can still enjoy the amazing beach. Maybe we won’t be able to use the kids play area, but they can play with each other.
Going through this mental exercise was useful and relieved my stress. Now I have an action plan and will just do my best.
When I came home, husband also came to chat with me to help to “find the solution”. I was grateful that he tried, which means he acknowledged my feelings. Sometimes we lash out just to be acknowledged.
I shared this news with the girls as I think they need to understand that unexpected things can happen, what’s important is our attitude to address them as they arise.
Looking at the girls (October photo), it gives me energy to tackle this first world stress 🙂
Our New Journey 