Being More Thankful

Photo by Aleksei Zaitcev on Unsplash

I’m stuck in Nairobi Airport right now.

Our flight had a short layover with an end destination in Cairo, Egypt, but it just got canceled. The connection to Cairo is unknown. Worst yet, the airline won’t release our checked luggage. This throws a big wrench in our plans as we have a tight schedule for tours, restaurants, and other flights.

People are PISSED. Rightfully so, as the airline hasn’t given any information for hours and has been unhelpful in rebooking connecting flights. I understand their perspective.

We have to get out of here, though. It’s a complete mess and frustrating, with little to no customer service.

My wife and I quickly glanced at Google Flights for another airline to take in the morning. The only two seats available are in business class on a direct 5-hour flight out. It’s  $4,098.38 and departs at 6 a.m.

Oof.

That’s really expensive for a fairly short on-way. Is it really worth it? Could we meander around and hope the original airlines fixes everything?

I don’t usually buy business-class tickets, so this feels crazy. After a few minutes, we booked the flight and a hotel to sleep in for the next 4 hours.

While we were walking to the airport hotel, I texted a friend back home about what happened. Towards the end of the conversation, I asked how his kids were doing, as the second was just born. They live in Chicago, in a two-bedroom apartment, which works well with two kids under two. He said, “We don’t sleep much, but we’re so grateful they’re healthy, and we can all live in the city.”

That made me think. Every situation has two perspectives. You can be frustrated, want to vent and be pissed off. Or, you can be grateful for the situation you’re in. Being financially independent amplifies the ability to be envious or grateful, and we can choose.

Frustration is always the easier out. It’s harder to twist a situation into a positive and roll with the next steps.

I feel my expectations have grown since my exit a few years ago. It’s easy to want more and expect it sooner. And with that, brings less time to step back and just be grateful.

We literally had the ability to buy our way out of this crappy flight situation in Nairobi while others have to sit and wait possibly days more to get moving. That’s unbelievable!

Fuck being pessimistic, frustrated or envious, We have the greatest life ever and I’m so thankful for it. This is a reminder to me to take a second and be grateful in life.