Apr 182 min read

How Could We Have Done That–Embracing the Unexpected

Mark and I were gathering our belongings for our trip to the Adirondacks. The weather report indicated that snow was probable and then it was expected to warm up enough to melt what was on the ground. That meant we needed to plan for mud. Our bag, overstuffed with the required clothes and footwear, was ready.

We packed the car with all the food and accessories we’d need, and we set off to Tupper Lake, near Lake Placid, New York, to see the solar eclipse. (See blog post) We were guests of Mark’s cousin Jackie and her husband, Pierre.

“The driveway is very steep,” we were told. “They’ll have plowed it, but with the ice, you’ll need to park at the top and walk down with your bags.”

They weren’t overstating the vertical descent to their cottage. I was going to need my snow boots. I cautiously stepped out of the car and looked in the trunk to grab them out of the suitcase, but I didn’t see it. So I asked Mark where it was, assuming he had already unloaded our bag. He looked in the car and then all around and then back in the car and with a quizzical expression. “I don’t know,” he replied.

“Did we forget to bring it?” I asked

He looked at me in astonishment and slowly said “I guess so.”

And then we both burst out laughing. Between giggles I said, “How could we have forgotten it?”

Mark was just shaking his head in bewilderment. The situation was so ridiculous that neither of us could stop laughing.

With our arms full, we headed down the hill. I slowly followed Mark; he was wearing his boots and I was cautiously sidestepping my way down with my slippery street shoes.

Besides seeing the eclipse, what made the weekend so great was our hosts’ generosity. Jackie handed us two toothbrushes, pointed to the soaps and creams, and loaned me a pair of boots. She also gave me the address of a local general store to get some of the other necessities we needed. All that and the use of their washer/dryer made what could have been an awkward stay wonderful.

And when we got home, our suitcase was exactly where we’d left it, now waiting for us to unpack.

I’ve had the airlines lose my bag, and I can assure you I didn’t laugh; that’s the difference when you’re the ones to blame for this kind of mishap.

Have you ever left without your suitcase or done something equally as unfortunate?

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