Stranded At The Airport..
Branded A Fool....

I've been up since 2:45 am.

I had a 6 am flight.

I wanted to get home early.

I've been caring for my parents for several weeks and now it's my turn to go home...

Refresh and get some serious work done after a few weeks of not being able to run my mouth online.

I thought about picking a later flight but I REALLY wanted to get back so I booked the crack of stupid trip knowing the pain would be worth it.

First sign of a bad omen...

The skies were clear up by my parents but as I headed south the snow began to fall.

I arrived at the airport at 4:15 to return my rental.

And as I walked across the parking lot my feet got all wet and I was COLD.

But I was going home so it was gonna all be OK.

Security was a breeze...

Got my tushie into that cozy first class seat and got myself ready for a quick snooze before hitting the Atlanta madness.

Second sign of a bad omen..

Captain said it was gonna be a bumpy flight and there likely wouldn't be any beverage service.

I had really wanted a hot tea but I thought

THAT'S OK...

I'm going HOME.

I closed my eyes for a moment and then it came...

Ladies and Gentlemen...

I have  BAD NEWS.

While they were loading the bags the guys hit an antenna and the plane can not fly.

PLEASE COLLECT YOUR BELONGINGS AND DEPLANE.

My sand crusted eyes opened and I thought OH CRAP.

This is not good.

My cozy bed it calling me and now I have to wait to get there.

But no problem I thought...

I whipped out my phone to rebook.

They couldn't get me on the nexty flight.

OK.

The first available flight was SEVEN hours after the first one.

Not exactly what I had planned.

But I figured I was getting EXACTLY what I had hoped for.

Time to work.

So I went and found myself a spot

Whipped out my computer and got into it.

You can accomplish an awful lot in 7 hours with no distractions.

So I got some coffee...

Hunkered down and started to do the do.

I was deep into it...

Really focused and then all of a sudden I got a text saying my original flight was boarding.

It was 10:30.

4 and a half hours after my original departure time.

I had given up on the first flight going but now it WAS going and I was sitting in a cafe outside of security and I had not paid my bill yet.

I RAN like a maniac and got to the gate.

DOOR CLOSED.

No entry.

The woman asked me...

What's your name?

I said 

DIANE HOCHMAN

She said...

I PAGED YOU.

I told her the lady at the desk told me to go to the cafe and they would not leave without me if they flight happened to go and that I did not have a boarding pass on my app.

I stared at her intently as she tapped at her keyboard.

I listened as she talked on her walkie talkie...

She said without a boarding pass we had a problem.

I said...

Well I do have the original printed one from this morning.

She said...

THAT WILL WORK!

And then I heard a glorious beep as she scanned my crumpled paper as she opened the door to the jet way I SWEAR I heard the ANGELS sing!

I trotted down the long tunnel to walk on the the plane and excalimed...

WHAT THE HECK?

The whole plane was empty.

There were literally THREE people on the flight.

They were so sure the flight would not go that they rebooked everyone else but I used an old travel trick I learned years ago.

I didn't let them cancel my first flight that the airline itself had not cancelled.

I just had them get me a back up IN CASE the original flight didn't go.

And that's how I got to be one of the three people that were on this GLORIOUS flight.
 

In all my years of flying I've never had this happen but I have to say it was a VERY pleasant surprise.

If you've read this far you may be wondering WHY I am telling you this long drawn out story.

And wondering what it has to do with you.

Well....

A couple o things...

1.  Ya gotta do something enough times to get good.

I travel a lot.  So I decided to get GOOD at traveling.

To learn the ins and outs and secrets of frequent flyers.

And that is why I got on this flight while all the others are still sitting in New York missing precious hours from their trips.

Many of the people I met earlier in the day are STILL in New York.

Just like many of the people I have done business with over the years....

Still trying to figure out how to build an audience.

If you are serious about making money from home like I am serious about traveling you have to make a decison to learn the ins and outs.

Don't let months and years go by.

Or get STRANDED like the folks I was with this am.

2.  Take everything in stride.

Things don't always work out the way you want but they always work out in time.

If I couldn't get home right away I was gonna meet people, create content and write to YOU!

Make the best of every situation....

You never know where it is leading you...

In may case ...a completely empty plane!

And lastly...

BE NICE to everyone you meet.

Even when you don't get what you want.

Turns out that the lady that got me on the plane was the same exact one that MANY people yelled at.

Now I have a friend at that airport and I have no doubt she will remember me next time.

It's a TINY airport and Delta only has a few employees there so I have no doubt I will run into her again.

The biggest thing I want you to GET is that YOU are the one that is in CONTROL of YOUR experience.

YOU get to decide how your day goes and how your business goes.

It's all you your hands.

But if I can give you some help you KNOW Im here for you!

You're a good kid.

You deserve all you wish for and more.

And that completes my saga of the day...

Or at least I hope so!

Still have another flight to go so wish me luck!


I'm Diane...

FLY ME!

And remember...

Sometimes...

Bad news turns out to not be bad at all...

In fact it becomes the very opportunity you have been waiting for.



Hugs...

Diane Of The Skies Hochman