And I’ll do me. If only I had listened to that sentiment, but I did not. 

This is the story of how I almost changed my plans, didn’t, and got caught in a snowstorm.

In my last Letter, I conveyed the success of getting a French Haircut¹And, in truth, I am still proud of that success.. But after succeeding, I felt like a failure. Because I still had another week of work in France, and I wanted to go home.

Work travel is a tool that helps me do my job. It isn’t necessary, but it is easier to do what I do when I am in the room. In some situations, it is less important. In some situations, it is very important. It just worked out being in the room mattered a lot in December this year.

I had already planned to add a night in Iceland, because: Iceland. Iceland in winter is amazing. It is usually not too cold and not too snowy. However, I knew I could change my ticket and go straight through after my last meeting.  And yet – I hate the stress of changing planes without a night in Iceland. In general, Icelandair is great about helping people make their connections from Europe to the US²It is their business model.. But, when the plane is late from Europe to Keflavik, it is a madhouse going through passport control and getting to your seat on the plane can be a challenge. Mostly, they will wait for you, but sometimes they don’t³This is, in fact, the main reason I add a night in Iceland. I like Iceland a lot, and I don’t like to be rushed. A lot..

I looked at my reservations on that cold, grey Sunday night in Saint Denis, France, and I realized if I was going to make a change without a charge, I would have to do it in the next two hours. I couldn’t do it. And, I couldn’t cancel after that because I didn’t want to pay for a hotel room I didn’t use.

You see, I try to be careful with money. I knew there was a chance there would be a difference in fare, and I would have to pay a couple of hundred dollars for that. As much as I wanted to get home, I didn’t want to pay for something I didn’t enjoy⁴Foreshadowing..

So, I kept my plans the same as when I made them in October⁵Before 5 extra nights were added at the beginning of the trip. I would work out my time in France, then go to Iceland for just one night, and make my way back home on Saturday.

I almost never look at the forecast in Iceland when I am going there. In general, it will be windy and hover around 0 degrees Celsius with a bit of rain. This is true about 6 months of the year. The other 6 months, it hovers around 10 degrees Celsius, but the wind and a bit of rain remain the same.

I wanted to know what I should wear in Iceland, so I did check it out on my weather app. I was surprised – it said there was snow in the forecast. I figured a couple of centimeters of snow probably wouldn’t slow things down, so I wasn’t concerned.

Until I was.

Because, it wasn’t a couple of centimeters of snow. I never did find an accurate reporting of the snowfall, but the one YouTube video I watched said the amount of snow was, “Until the Knees.”⁶This measurement means may seem silly until you have spent time in Iceland. You see, the wind blows the snow around so much, it doesn’t really matter the amount that fell. Instead, it is how the snow lays on the ground (and the cars and roads) and how it blows back across the area you have already cleared that matters when it comes to the impact of the snow on your world.

I got up on Saturday morning, prepared to do a bit of shopping at the mall and spend some time in the glorious hot water spas that are a feature of a layover in Iceland, and I was greeted by a Winter Wonderland. It was gorgeous. It was like being in a snow globe. I thought, “Hey, I could change my flight until tomorrow. That would be awesome. I could spend the evening in Reykjavik, not feel rushed, and enjoy a glass of glogg⁷The name for Icelandic mulled wine. while I watched the snow.

But. It seemed selfish. Adding a night to enjoy a snowfall when I had been away for 19 nights seemed like I didn’t want to go home. I decided not to do ME but instead do WE.

And, I really did want to go home.

I skipped the shopping, I packed my bag, checked out of my hotel, and caught the transfer bus to the transfer station to get the bus to the airport.

It was not a nice journey. The snow was coming down fast and blowing across the road. We were traveling through a white tunnel. It was a little nervy getting to the airport, but I went early hoping to avoid crowds. I checked my bag, went through security, did my duty free shopping, and settled in to one of the happiest places on Earth⁸The Icelandair Saga Lounge at Keflavik. It is good to have status on an airline.,⁹I did not get an upgrade that flight, but if I needed Saga class, I should have bought it myself.. I munched on snacks and had delicious hot chocolate with Jokla. I was ready to be drowsy on my flight home and fall into the arms of my family.

The first sign that something was not right was that my plane was delayed for an hour. And then another 30 minutes. And finally, an hour out to departure, with no more changes announced, I made my way through passport control¹⁰Another reason I fly through Iceland — so much easier than anywhere else!. 

As I got in line to board my plane, I heard an announcement – “All Icelandair flights are canceled.”

Ok. They didn’t have to tell me twice. Part of me was expecting it. I went back through passport control, went back to duty free, and went to get my bag. I made a reservation on the bus back to Reykjavik and a reservation back at the hotel¹¹Sadly, the room was much smaller and not nearly as nice when I checked in on Friday.. Icelandair even rebooked me automatically for the next day.

Isn’t that nice?

No. No it wasn’t nice. Instead of sending me to Washington, DC, they put me on a plane to Boston with a transfer in Boston to an airline I hate¹²That would be a different letter though.. So I said no, I want a direct flight.

They said fine. You can leave Tuesday.

It was Saturday. I could leave Tuesday.

Yes, life is like a Taylor Swift song. Had I given into my impulse to change my flight on Saturday, I would have gotten home on Sunday. 

Sunday in Reykjavik was everything I had hoped Saturday night would have been. So that was good. I had my Beef and Cheese. I had my Glogg. I had my happy hour. I had my spa time.

Monday, the winds kicked up. I honestly didn’t notice. I walked around in the morning, and it was cold. But not THAT cold. It wasn’t until the evening, after working for several hours from my hotel room, that I learned that once again, all flights were canceled. And over 1,000 people were stuck at the airport. There was no room at the inns in Keflavik¹³There are only two hotels right by the airport.. People were stuck. I was safe and warm with food and wine.

I really am often luckier than I should be.

The roads from Reykjavik to Keflavik, a mere 40 miles or so, were closed right up until the time I was supposed to board the transfer bus to take the bus to the airport on Tuesday. So, I lived with uncertainty Tuesday morning until I boarded my flight home¹⁴Yes, it was delayed.,¹⁵Yes, I got an upgrade this time.. 

It was only on Tuesday morning it occurred to me, I could have flown to Boston Sunday, and gotten myself back to DC on my own. I didn’t have to take their transfer flight.

I always think I am a good traveler. I think I am good at making the choices, picking the flights, picking the hotels, and understanding how to transverse the world. That, I realize, is an illusion. I missed so many opportunities to get home sooner. I also, thankfully, missed many opportunities to barely get home for Christmas.

But I did get home for Christmas. I did stay safe. And warm. And mostly dry.

I am glad I got to experience what happens in Iceland in a snowstorm. 

I don’t know about adding a night in Iceland again¹⁶I am not on my next trip. In three weeks. Sigh.. I am sure I will do it again eventually, because I love it. I love the light. I love the wind. I love the water. I love the attitude that it will work out eventually and maybe I don’t have to push so hard.

If I had done me, I would have gone straight through Friday. If I had done me, I would have chosen to stay in Iceland Saturday night and left on Sunday. And yet – I was doing me taking the flight I took and being prepared to roll with all the changes. 

That is what I have learned from my times spent in Iceland. I can’t control it, but I can enjoy the ride.