The Golden Gate Bridge has been a site worth waiting for. I stopped at Bakers Beach right before my flight, it was amazing.
After my very relaxing spa morning. At 8:00am Jet Blue emailed me on 2/24 that they had cancelled my flight due to a snowstorm on the East Coast. This really threw a wrench in my plans because this meant that I needed to cut my trip early or extend it for an unknown period of time. If I didn’t have two kids under 3, I would have LOVED this news. I could make new plans and spend my time knocking off some more items off my list. However, I missed my kids and my husband, I decided I needed to get home but not without seeing the Golden Gate Bridge. So, I packed my things after frantically researching and calling the airport. JetBlue was impossible to talk to a representative, so I knew my only option was to go to the airport and talk to a human. I called my mom and her best friend, we chatted about options, I knew if I went to the airport, I risked losing my hotel and my rental car. BUT I made a risk-reward proposal. This would drive my sister and my husband nuts but that is how I role. Worst-case scenario: I wouldn’t be able to find a flight, and I would rent a new car and travel to LA for the day, and I knew I would find a hotel somewhere. I would get my flight changed to the following day and I would get home. As I thought about the worst-case, I couldn’t help but think, “That sounds pretty fun for worst-case.”
I had my sister and my husband looking at flights while I drove, and the best one was headed to Burlington, Vt, and a couple of others going to JFK. I saw that I had some time. Again, my worst-case wasn’t death. So, I made a detour. I typed in my GPS, Bakers Beach and headed there and oh was it worth the stop. The bridge was breathtaking, it was simply amazing, and I got to touch the Pacific Ocean while I was there. I set up my camera and snapped as many photos as I could and in chaos, I lost my air pods. Ha, Ya know, I got significant use of them, I hope someone finds them and cleans them, and keeps them. I snapped my photos and ran back towards my car and jumped in and headed to the airport. On my way, I drove along the West Coast to Ocean Beach and watched the surfers from afar.
I arrived at the airport, the car rental drop off was a significant distance, so plan accordingly, 10 minutes is not enough time to catch a flight FYI. I dropped off the car with a very empty tank, whoops and moved forward with my plan. I took the train to the airport after dropping it off, and once the doors opened, I saw the list of Jet Blue Flights available. I wanted to stay with Jet Blue since they owed me a flight and I didn’t want to dish out 1000’s of dollars. I walked to the Jey Blue Help Desk after calling my husband, “They only flight is to JFK New York, should I take it?” My husband and I talked through it, and I said, “blah, I will get on the flight and figure it out when I land because the flight leaves in 40 minutes and I need to make a decision.” Again, if I didn’t have cool kids, I would have just gone to my worst-case plan because I knew how much of a hassle NYC is. JetBlue got me on the flight, and I headed to NYC. My biggest regret last flight was that I was starving, so I made time to grab some food and bought new headphones before jumping on the plane. I didn’t have much time, I made it to the gate with about 5 minutes to spare.
The flight was wonderful, I had the row to myself to build my website and blog. I love being bored, which might come as a surprise. I love the feeling of “oh no, what will I do with 5 hours of time.” I utilize every minute of my life, and don’t get me wrong when I need to rest, I rest. When I need socialization, I socialize. When I need to be productive, I damn well create a list and get it all done. I arrived at JFK with no plan on what was next, and there was a snowstorm starting and I had no winter coat with me. I also didn’t mention the hole in my backpack. I was walking around with a GIANT hole in my bottom of my bag with all my things falling out. Seriously, I had a cord tail at one point. I noticed the hole on the airplane and just thought, I wonder if I will miss what I have lost so far. First rule to back packing alone across the country: GET A RELIABLE BACKPACK.
I grabbed my bag from the bag claim area, and I sat down and googled what to do now. It was 8pm and all trains stopped headed to Boston, I even looked at trains that went to CT, or RI. I didn’t have luck, so I began searching for hotels. I might as well go to Time Square. After a long Taxi wait and freezing my ass off because I didn’t have any winter gear on, not even a coat. I made my way to a hotel, $70 taxi ride but I successfully made it. It was 10:30pm, and I was luckily in the city that never sleeps, so off I went to a bar and restaurant to unwind. I had a martini and a huge steak, and then made it back to the hotel for some sleep. I woke up at 4am, walked in a snowstorm in the dark city (a coat really would have been cool), and hopped on a train to Boston. Now I am still on that train, so I think the story will end, someone will get me at the train station (even though there is a winter advisory warning), and I will make it
I tell you this, not because it’s a dramatic story but because I made time to see the Golden Gate Bridge, and it was not easy. And nothing worth seeing is ever easy is what I have learned. If it were easy, most people would have seen it and done it already.