"To Experience or Not to Experience: That is the Question"
When it comes to life, I believe there are times we must ask ourselves: To experience or not to experience? Can you choose what you will experience?
Do we dare to live life to the fullest, taking risks and embracing adventure? Or do we play it safe, staying within our comfort zones, staying in the box that makes us feel safe?
TRAVEL PLANS GOING WRONG… or did it?
Last Sunday, I left Iceland to travel to Malta, my favourite Island in the Mediterranean ocean, where I had planned to work remotely for the next 3-weeks both on my projects as the marketing and PR manager for The Federation of Trade and Services in Iceland and as an international speaker and leadership coach/mentor.
I left Iceland full of anticipation for living and working in a much warmer climate, with more daylight than we have in Iceland at this time of the year.
As an experienced traveller, I always have all my travel documents ready on my mobile phone AND in print. I make it my ritual to have all apps up to date.
Little did I know what an adventure was waiting for me ;-)
I had a beautiful flight with Icelandair; in a window seat, I experienced the sun rising from the east with all the warm colours indicating a fresh start.
As we landed in Rome, I checked the local time and estimated, once more, how long it would take me to get my connected flight to Malta.
Everything looked P-E-R-F-E-C-T! - I was in my comfort zone.
All I had to do was to pick up my checked-in luggage and check in again, this time with Ryanair.
Truth be told, when I booked this connecting flight to Malta in August, I remember hesitating a little when I saw that the airline I needed to use was Ryanair. Recalling in my mind events in the past where I had said to myself: Rúna, you are worth so much more than flying with Ryanair!
Going ahead with booking this flight, I had sold myself the idea that THIS TIME ALL WOULD BE FINE! (sound familiar to you?)
Strolling from the arrival section at Rome airport to the departure area with my luggage, I started to look for my flight on the announcement board.
Scrolling through tons of flights… I could not find my flight.
I looked at my travel documents, I checked the app from the travel agency I had used, eDreams, and yes… the flight was there… the airport was the same (yes, I even checked that, to be sure I wasn’t in the wrong airport).
With a strange feeling in my tummy, I queued up for the check-in.
When it became my turn, the guy at the counter could not find my flight to Malta!
My uncomfortable feeling in my tummy grew, and I could feel thoughts running through my head.
What am I going to do now?
How could this happen for me?
(I believe things happen FOR us, not TO us)
I was guided again to the service desk, where I was told this flight was not scheduled. After some investigation, it was cancelled on September 15th - I never got any notification; on the contrary, I kept getting information about the time was getting near and if I wanted to buy something beforehand, extra luggage, more legroom - you know, the drill.
Once more, I checked the eDreams app … and the date there had not changed. It was Oct 30th, not Oct 29th!
As I waited for that woman to check if they could book me another flight, I could feel the old version of me, the irritated version of me, that version that wanted to raise my voice and demand to speak with her superior.
Ryanair had moved the flight to the day before! No notification to me! How dare they!?
Silently I calmed down the old familiar self-talk. I consciously chose to stay open to experience what I was experiencing.
At that moment, the woman looked at me and said: Sorry, mam, there isn’t any flight for today, and not tomorrow either; you might get a flight on Tuesday!
Wow… this looked like I would be stranded in Rome, not for just one night, but for two nights. Meaning, two days in Rome! I thought to myself! Two whole days alone in Rome!
My mind raced through that scenario, that extra cost that I needed to cover, and the fact that I would not be able to see my friends in Malta till later that week. That worried thought of not being sure I could get a stable internet connection to do my projects waiting for me for the federation of trade and services, that I could host the online events I was scheduled to host etc.
Oh yeah, tons of thoughts.
Then I noticed a brand new voice pointing out: “Rúna, didn’t you ask for an adventure before you left Iceland? Did you not set the intention that you were ready for big adventures?”
Yes, I did recall having that thought. I had set the intention to enjoy the adventure that was waiting for me. I had yet to envision the experience coming my way this way. I thought more about all the different places I would be invited to visit and all the inspiring and engaging people I would meet and get to know.
Not that I would be stranded in Rome…and for two days!
But there I was. All alone at the airport in Rome.
Sitting down in the airport departure area, opening up my computer, and connecting it to the internet, a message from my colleague at work pops up on my screen. “Hey Rúna, have you landed in Rome? I just bought tickets for a silent disco; let me know if you can join us.”
Oh wow… I thought. I’m not alone here. Ragna, my colleague, was in Rome with her husband that weekend.
OMG… I already had an invite to go dancing… silent disco in Rome! How cool would that be? The excitement for what I was invited to do, gave me such joy, such a flow of energy. If I were able to accept that invitation was not an issue for me, just the feeling of being invited was enough to make me sparkle with joy.
First thing first, I wanted to check if there were any flights I could find online to get me to Malta.
I found one flight the following morning on the Air Malta webpage - WOOHOO… I could book that flight; that news was better than anything. Because the girl at the counter had told me: NO FLIGHTS FOR 2 DAYS!!
Air Malta Fix Your Website!
Well, if you have ever tried to book a flight on the Air Malta website, I urge you to use all the tools in the book to stay calm and collected. That website is so poorly organised that I thought I was on a hidden camera for a moment. Someone was pulling my leg.
After six attempts, finally, I had my one-way flight from Rome to Malta booked! The last seat!
Happening FOR me or TO me?
On my flight to Malta that next day, I asked myself; Did I manage to experience the experience, or was I absent-minded from enjoying what was coming my way, irritated by the situation?
My honest answer was; Yes, I managed to experience the experience in a fun self-loving way. There is something so powerful when one becomes a tiny bit more self-aware.
Being able to notice the old version of yourself, the program running in your background, allows you to react more consciously, less unconsciously. It creates mental space for you to choose how you will respond.
I had also decided to use this extra and unexpected time in Rome to watch, notice and breath in the atmosphere around me.
Was the hotel room I got a grand one? NO… it was not a grand one. It was a hilarious one. Tiny bedroom with a chair made of tin and bedside table made of an oil tank.
Literally ;-)
Did I sleep well? NO… not really, but that allowed me to meditate at the earliest hours. And early-hour meditations are THE BEST!
And how you respond to things and events in your life will ultimately be the results you get. It will always give you an experience; choosing how you want to experience the experience is your choice!
Choose wisely!
Experiencing the Experience in less than 30-sec!