I’m currently in Santiago.

I should be in Buenos Aires but my flight was cancelled due to volcanic ash in the air. I’m fine with that—the ash sticks to engine turbines and then the turbines don’t work— that I’m not okay with. Anywho, it took about six hours to get out of the airport after the flight was cancelled. It’s a long story and about as boring as it was to sit there so I won’t go into any details, but it was actually a pretty interesting (okay, fine, illuminating) watching how everybody reacted to the delay.

There was, of course, the overweight gaucho who half heartedly tried to start a mass exodus past the armed guards at customs but everybody was too tired for him to pose any real threat. Eventually, after much waiting and groaning, AirCanada paid our fees and bussed us to a Sheraton for the night. Our new flight leaves at 5:30 tomorrow morning. Hopefully ash doesn’t like to wake up early.

Still, I think there’s an important lesson to be learned from the day. Sure it sucked, but the people who were the most miserable where the ones who were also fighting the hardest for some ridiculous solution. When you travel, almost everything is out of your control. You need to be flexible and patient and let things come and go as they will, because whether you like it or not, that’s what’s going to happen. So if there’s ash tomorrow and I have to do the whole thing again, so be it. There’s only any use in worrying about what you can change and fuck the rest.

I think this willingness to let go is more than a travel tip, it's a life philosophy.
When you’re at home a lot of things are in your control but the happiest people are the ones who still let things come and go as they will. Some asshole cut you off on the freeway? Have a bad cold and a ton of work? Brooding doesn’t help anybody and generally it just makes things worse. Just let go. Enough said.

So, how’d the story end? I made friends with an Oncologist who happens to live ten minutes from me, saw the city with his wife and twin daughters who quizzed me on my Spanish over dinner, and even scored an invite to spend a weekend in the supposedly beautiful northern province of Ju Juy. Take that, Volcano.

I told you-- life generally works out, you just need to get out its way.