Best Laid Plans

I hadn't planned on spending the first night in Houston, but nobody seems to be able to get the weather to participate on queue. Heavy rains had us in a holding pattern above our layover city. Eventually, we diverted to San Antonio to wait out the weather. Not one to miss an opportunity, I looked for The Alamo from the air but had no luck. Eventually, the 737 was back in the air and on the way to Houston again, but our connecting flight to Birmingham "had left the terminal". Seventeen teachers could be seen power-walking through the Houston airport, chasing down the next flights to Birmingham. We walked to no less than three gates at opposite ends of this expansive airport! It felt good to move again, because we had been on the plane for approximately eight hours, but we had no luck. All of the flights had already left. We took a shuttle to a nearby mall for clothes (Our luggage went on without us.) because it was inevitable that we would spend the night in Houston. It felt wonderful to have cleaned up, had dinner, and to be able to relax. Tomorrow would be another day. The next day, our Birmingham flight took off without a hitch.

Flash forward - The itinerary full of workshops, tours, and discussions will have to wait until we arrive. This trip is one of "firsts" for me. Until today, I had never missed a connecting flight and had to stay overnight in a city. A first. I had never been to Houston or San Antonio. Again, a first. I anticipate the events on my itinerary in the next few days will be meaningful and enlightening. They will all be "firsts" for me. I can't wait to describe them. Stay tuned.