Maya Angelou writes that “you can tell a lot about a person by the way they handle three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.”
I can add a fourth thing to the list: You can tell a lot about a person by how they handle being stranded abroad and finding other ways to get back home when a volcano erupts and planes don’t fly because of the ash. volcanic.
Like many others around the world, in April I was stranded abroad due to volcanic ash and had an exciting 45+ hour journey home with my family. When I left England in early April I thought I was headed for the Amalfi Coast in Italy. I didn’t expect to tour Italy, Switzerland, France and Portsmouth.
So I was in Sorrento on Thursday, April 9, at the end of an idyllic vacation on the Amalfi Coast and preparing to go home on Friday. It had been a sensational week, enjoying the romance of Capri, the pleasures of long Italian lunches and limoncello overlooking sunny beaches, the mysteries of Herculaneum and Pompeii, the warmth and humor of the Italians. And I was ready to get home on Friday and have an organized weekend preparing for a full week of training in England.
And then… the volcano erupted… clouds of ash filled the skies… and flights were canceled for the foreseeable future. Plans changed and we were stranded in Sorrento! 5 days later, after an epic adventure that was almost as fun as the holidays, I was back in England. This is what I learned:
1. Don’t let the cloud of unknowing block your sun
It was beautifully sunny in Sorrento that Friday morning. However, we did not know when or how we would return home. We just knew that our original plan to fly home that day was not happening. Looking around me, I saw many worried vacation companions, worried about what was going to happen. But still, it was a sunny day in Sorrento and we decided to enjoy it, exploring the city, having lunch at an amazing restaurant called Caruso’s (highly recommend if you’re in Sorrento) and enjoying a relaxing afternoon taking in the views. in the hotel pool.
Learning point: even when there is a big cloud (volcanic or otherwise) of unknowing, enjoy the sun and the possibilities…
2. Plan B? Sometimes there is no plan B
My own personality, J on the Meyers-Brigg J/P personality scale, combined with my profession as a coach, leads me to be clear about my purpose, direction and focus in life and work, both for myself and for my clients. . Normally this works fine. If Plan A doesn’t work, my usual course is to adjust and come up with another plan.
In this case, no plan B was possible. We didn’t know when or if the planes would fly, and when we researched the trains, they were full until the following week. And in any case, apparently the Italian machinists were on strike.
All you had to do to enjoy the experience was not to plan, but to be… and let the Sorrento sun in. Which turned out to be enlightening and a wonderful experience.
3.Enjoy every moment
Given the reality of being stranded in Sorrento and the absence of a plan B, every additional moment offered possibilities for diversion. I went to Positano on Saturday and ate arancini at a restaurant on the beach, my son threw rocks into the water, we found a sunlit terrace to enjoy the views from, and found a sandal shop that made custom designed sandals . . It was a real lesson in how to seize every unexpected moment and enjoy it. As another Brit said on the bus along the hairpin bends back to Sorrento, oh Happy Days!
4. Be open to spontaneous pleasure and fun
I ended up on a coach that drove through Tuscany, Umbria, the Italian lakes, the Alps, France, to Caen in Normandy, from where we caught a ferry. The trip was over 45 hours in total, uncomfortable, exhausting, very, very, long, and yet a lot of spontaneous fun. Some other passengers on the coach were clearly irritable and not at their best. And yet…we experienced so many highlights…beautiful Tuscany scenery I’ve never seen before, a 2am jive in a parking lot during a short rest stop to get our circulation going (the cokey would have been next if the bus driver hadn’t returned), clever guessing games, the thrill of rushing to Caen to see if we could make it in time to catch the ferry…
Whatever the circumstances, you have the choice to be amused or react as less than your best self.
5. Grace under pressure
Let’s go back to Maya Angelou’s point about what you can learn about people in certain circumstances. The WWII motto of “Keep Calm and Carry On” was on my mind for much of the experience. And there was a real camaraderie on the journey with other passengers, the possibility of a beautiful connection.
6. Be nice
See the previous point. When you are under pressure, it is very important to be kind to others and see how you can help them, from not putting your seat back on the bus when the people behind you are already crowded, to helping an elderly woman with her luggage on the walk. endless. from the ferry to the Portsmouth terminal.
7. Change your perspective
That afternoon in Positano, when I should have returned to the UK, that magically endowed bit of extra time, I was sitting with my family enjoying a lemon slushie and the spectacular views, as well as our conversation and the feeling of the sun on My skin. At that point, I got a text from a friend in England, saying something like: “Poor you, you’re stranded. I’m so sorry for you and I hope you’re home soon.” I have to admit I have the giggles. Such is the power of perspective!
