17/18 March 2025
In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside you. – Deepak Chopra
Chaos is chaos no matter how you experience it. You either adapt or die. – Pat Bunyard
Always create a Plan B. Just in case, develop a Plan C. When traveling, it could be wise to have a Plan D at hand.
Best Laid Plans of Mice and Women
I planned to fly from my home airport to San Francisco Monday morning. I usually track my future flights to observe their status and reliability. Seeing my potential flight consistently arriving two and three hours late failed to reassure me. So, I made a Plan B. I wanted to arrive into Paris on Tuesday to meet my niece at the airport.
Earlier, after my flight arrived 6 hours late, I decided a Plan C was needed. My niece and I worked out strategies and hoped for the best. Ultimately, Plan A thru C were not good enough.
Waking at 3 am because I had nothing better to do at that early hour, I checked email and weather. All appeared good. I couldn’t go back to sleep, so I heard the ping come in on my phone around 5:30 AM. Checking the notification, United informed me that my flight was going to be at least two hours late because of “required rest time for the crew.” This kicked in a need for Plan D!
I did not trust my flight would reach SFO in time for my international connection to Paris. My most promising option appeared to be renting a car and driving to SFO Airport. Quickly, I booked a car, called United to cancel the first leg of my flight so as to ensure they did not cancel the entire flight when I didn’t show up, then departed from home.
Rain and Rainbows
I like flying through SFO International Airport, but it’s limited runways are often effected by weather of some sort. Presently, no airline seems reliable, no airport working on time. One acts accordingly.
Driving through Paso Robles, rain alternates with blue sky and rainbows. Heavy rain turns to light showers. Rain stops, sun peaks out behind clouds. Rainbows arch over the near horizon.
SFO lies straight north up Highway 101 about 220 miles. The drive involves speeds of 65-70, which everyone seems to ignore. Zooming along, trying to keep the speedometer below 80, other cars zip by in an eager race to get somewhere. Around San Jose, congestion slows but a few drivers.
I arrived with ample time to spare. After returning the car, I take the shuttle to the lounge and congratulate myself on managing this challenge of travel chaos. I sip a glass of well-earned sparkling wine in the lounge before headed to my gate.
Hurry Up to Wait
Planes have been having a run of bad luck lately. As my niece wrote before a recent flight: “Pray for working landing gears, no bird strikes, and helicopter pilots with 20/20 vision.”
Add food carts to the mix. Boarded, doors closed, champagne in hand, our Pilot speaks. Gusty winds, no surprise for SFO. Huh? One of those gusts shoved a food cart into our plane.
Hopefully, not the cart with the ice cream or wine. Maintenance checks damage between said food cart and big 787 jet. Paperwork must be filed. Door closes, let’s try this again.
Whoops! Someone spots another dented panel. More maintenance examining what a little food cart did to our big plane. Additional required paperwork. Another delay. Two hours of dents and paperwork, we are free to fly.
Would I have made my original connection? It remains a mystery. I may have been lucky but a complete wreck Hoping for the best and expecting the worst. Don’t regret the drive.
Arrived Charles de Gaulle, Paris
On the ground, out the door, through immigration and customs in less than 10 minutes. My niece awaits me at the coffee shop in Arrivals. Because United allows free iMessages, we have our Plan.
Electronics and Apps allow us to choose a route and purchase tickets. We travel the RER B into Paris where we connect with the Metro taking us to the metro area of the Montparnasse Station.
Good grief, Montparnasse appears to be a huge train station involving many steep escalators up, then down, then up again. After a long walk, we finally reach the actual train station. Helpful locals come to our aide as we have less than 10 mi Ute’s to departure. We finally find the correct gate and train. Hardly settled, we are moving. The train is on time. How refreshing. Glad we didn’t stop for a coffee.
Rennes
On time, exhausted, we arrive in Rennes. Another gigantic train station. More steep escalators and moving walkways. My niece leads her very tired Aunt out the door and to our hotel. Thankfully a short walk. I unload my bag, wash my face and hit my reset button.
No rest for serious travelers. Rennes awaits. There is a small desire for dinner, a huge passion for alcohol.
Travel is a challenge. Sometimes, one can even say the joy of travel is painful. Either way you look at it, travel is not for the faint of heart.
