When your transportation of choice is flying the friendly skies the day before your departure you have the option to check in on your computer or smart phone.

I checked in the night before I was to return home. When I got to the airport the next morning I should have been able to pay for my luggage, hand it off to the attendant, get through security and board the plane. It should have been that simple—NOT!

For some strange reason after paying for my luggage I had to go to the end of a long line with people and their many pieces of luggage that hadn’t previously checked in. The process took about 30 minutes. There was something wrong with that picture.

The airlines make you think by checking in early it will speed up the process to get to your plane. That wasn’t the case. I waited in line and waited at security and by the time I got to the terminal the waiting area was empty. Fear gripped me. I was about to fall out on the floor screaming and kicking. I wanted to go home.

The attendant called my name, scanned my boarding pass and away I went to the plane. When I stepped on the plane everyone was seated and waiting on me. I was the last one boarding because of the 30 minute delay in the line.

The plane landed and by the time I got to the baggage carousel there were only a few pieces going around and around with nothing ascending from the black hole. Where was my luggage? I inquired and found out my luggage was taking a later flight. I barely made the plane but the door slammed shut on my luggage and it didn’t make it. The luggage showed up at my home around midnight.

This was an interesting adventure. I never expected these things to happen—they never happened before. I maintained a good attitude and decided that it wasn’t going to get the best of me. I rejected the cloud that was trying to darken my wonderful vacation. I transitioned through all the twists and turns and everything worked out going and coming.

How have you made it through Life’s Little Surprises when travelling that you had no control over?