Slivers of Light in the Darkness
It's been 24 hours since I wrote yesterday's blog, meaning I should be enjoying the sights and sounds of Mongolia by now. That's not my reality, though. Instead, I'm sitting at the same table in the Chicago airport where I wrote yesterday's piece.
Let me rewind. As my 11-hour layover ended yesterday, I was eager to board my flight to Istanbul. The anticipation had been building for months, and more so as I sat there. As the gate agents were preparing to begin boarding, I heard an announcement over the speaker: "Would Shelton Travis please come to the ticket counter?" I approached the counter, "Am I in trouble?" "You're not in trouble, but you're not getting on this flight……or any flight." Uh oh. Thus began one of the worst travel experiences of my life. The short version of the story is that my passport didn't have enough term remaining to legally enter Mongolia. Translation: I screwed up. I was nervous about having enough time in the trip's lead-up to renew my passport, but a trusted travel friend assured me I was good to go for this specific trip. BUT. BUT, I didn't confirm. I didn't follow through. I didn't fully vet it. I screwed up. I'm the author of this terrible story.
Here's what happened next:
I learned there is an emergency passport service in Chicago; one of the few cities that offers such a service.
The passport office still had an early-next-day opening available, so I booked it.
I grabbed a hotel room near the airport.
I got on the phone with the ticketing agency to sort through this mess; I learned my options.
After 4 hours of crappy sleep, I packed up and took a 45-minute Uber to the Federal building in downtown Chicago.
I found a passport photo shop, filled out an application for a passport renewal, and met with an agent.
I waited five hours to pick up my new passport.
Meanwhile, I spent 90 minutes on the phone with a ticketing agent to get a new flight. Ultimately, I ended up on the same route as previously scheduled, but one day later.
Now, I'm back at the airport, again hopeful to board a flight.
Needless to say, this has sucked more than I can ever express. It's felt lonely, defeating, and demoralizing. It would be so easy to play the victim card and glass-half-empty this thing into oblivion (the thought crossed my mind). But there have been so many things to be grateful for:
This debacle happened in a rare city offering same-day emergency passport services.
My friends John and Jenn, while on the other side of the earth, were a calming presence during my most stressful hours.
The fact I was able to quickly grab a cheap hotel room right next to the airport.
The hotel clerk, who showed me much grace and generosity when I approached the counter with my makeshift 11PM dinner comprised of roasted peanuts, a Nutrigrain bar, and a guacamole cup (options were sparse, and I was starving). I presented her with a $10 bill. "Not tonight. This one is on me."
My early morning Uber driver, who gave me an oddly calm and relaxing drive. Side note: look up "violin covers" on Spotify!
The Federal Building security guard, who gave me a tip for the best and quickest passport photos down the street. His tip allowed me to arrive just as they opened, avoiding the rapidly building line.
The Orbitz ticket agent, who showed me amazing patience and hospitality as we navigated the re-booking process. He was a lifesaver!
If all goes well, I still won't miss any critical meetings in Mongolia.
This is truly one of the worst travel experiences of my life, but there are always slivers of light in the darkness. We have two options: We can concede defeat, be a victim, and lament how terrible everything is, or keep moving forward, show resilience, and find those little slivers. I'm so glad I was able to find them today.
I hope your day goes far better than my last few have, but even if not, I hope you look for the slivers of light as well!
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