Stories Matching 'Travel/Vacation' Tag (81 matches)

The Wondorous Oragami Man

My friend, Gayla and I were traveling to Phoenix from Chicago. I misread the ticket, and we missed our flight. I was busy being upset about my failed plans when Gayla suggested we just fly wherever we want instead, since we had the time. I think about missing my flight to Phoenix and going to San Francisco instead. It taught me a lot about being open to what is, not attached to what I want, and how things unexpected can happen. Long story but while Gayla and I were in San Fran, this strange thing happened. It made me think maybe I should start to trust the natural course of things more, instead of always thinking I know what is best and trying to control things. Did I see an angel or go or santa while in San Francisco? I don’t know what he was, but he was not of this ... Read Full Story >>

A Trail of Shells

I live in Florida in an area that is famous for its shells. Many tourists wake up at 5:00 in the morning to find the best shells.

Living here, we have learned where to find the best shells and how to look for them. A lot of tourists spend time walking up and down the shore on the same beach and they don't tend to find very interesting stuff. And I figure, since I live here, there's no real point in looking for shells for myself since I already have a big collection.

So, whenever I find really nice shells (and sand dollars- those are not easy to find but are in high demand), I go out at night and scatter them along the beach for some lucky tourist to find.

Once I saw a family find a really pretty sand dollar I had left and they were so excited! It made their vacation. Plus, they were from Europe and they had traveled a long way for their vacation. I was so glad that someone deserving got my little gift!

I'll continue to leave more shells along the beach whenever I can!

Wandering Around an Albuquerque Airport Terminal

After learning my flight was detained 4 hours, I heard the announcement: "If anyone in the vicinity of gate 4-A understands any Arabic, please come to the gate immediately." Well -- one pauses these days. Gate 4-A was my own gate. I went there. An older woman in full traditional Palestinian dress, just like my grandma wore, was crumpled to the floor, wailing loudly. "Help," said the flight service person. "Talk to her. What is her problem? we told her the flight was going to be four hours late and she did this." I put my arm around her and spoke to her haltingly. "Shu dow-a, shu- biduck habibti, stani stani schway, min fadlick, Sho bit se-wee?" The minute she heard any words she knew -- however poorly used -- she stopped crying.   She thought our flight had been cancelled entirely. She needed to be in El Paso for some major medical treatment the following ... Read Full Story >>

I Wish You Enough

At an airport I overheard a father and daughter in their last moments together. They had announced her plane's departure and standing near the door, he said to his daughter, "I love you, I wish you enough." She said, "Daddy, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Daddy." They kissed good-bye and she left. He walked over toward the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see he wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on his privacy, but he welcomed me in by asking, "Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?" "Yes, I have," I replied. Saying that brought back memories I had of expressing my love and appreciation for all my Dad had done for me. Recognizing that his days were limited, I took ... Read Full Story >>

Helping A Stranger Get Home

A few years ago, I was attending a friend's graduation at the University of Oaklahoma.  While she was giving me a tour of the campus, she stopped by the student travel office to pick up her tickets. 

While we were waiting, I listened in on a student from Australia trying to fix a problem with her itinerary.  The agent told her that it would cost an additional $300 over what she had already paid to get an itinerary that did not include a ten hour overnight layover in LA.  She didn't have the money and I heard her say she would just have to sleep in the airport. 

I walked up and told the clerk to give her the straight itinerary and I'd pay the difference.  The student started to decline, probably wondering why a 41 year old man she didn't know was making the offer.  The friend I was with stepped up and told her she should feel free to take it, that I did this sort of thing all the time and it was a genuine goodwill gesture. 

She thanked me and asked fo my email address.  I gave her my business card and I ended up getting thank you cards from her and her mother.

5 Love Notes To My Grand-mother

I was just in France to visit my grand-mother who is very dear to me. I don’t get to cross the Atlantic very often, and she’s now 96 year old, so every time I go visit, the two of us are very aware that it might be the last time we see each other. Last time I visited her in December of 2004, I did a series of short video interviews about her life. I asked her what it was like to grow up with her father in the 1910s (her mother died during labor), to live through the German occupation alone with two young children with a husband away in a prisoners' camp in Germany. I asked her about her greatest memories and life learnings so far, her favorite books, foods, stories. I also asked her about her spirituality and her thoughts about death. I learned a lot of amazing ... Read Full Story >>

Two Dollars That Changed My Life

Everyday I walk down the mall to get a cup of cappuccino, and every day I get hit up for spare change.  Every day.  The panhandlers all have these wonderful stories but you never know what to believe.  After a while it gets to be an irritation, and then I find myself getting upset that I'm so irritated over what is really just spare change.

One day this person came up to me and said, "I just ran out of gas.  My car is about six blocks away from here, I have two kids in the car and I'm just trying to get back home."

I said to myself, "Here we go again," but for some reason I gave him $10.  Then I went on and got my cappuccino.  As I was walking back to my office, I again saw the man standing by his car, which had run out of gas right in front of my office.  Seeing me, he came over and said, "Thank you, but I don't need the full ten," and handed me $2.

Now I find that being asked for money no longer bothers me and I give whatever I can everytime I get the chance.

A Simple Card For a Beautician

This week I felt I wanted to treat myself to some ‘beautician treatment’. I am house bound, so knew that I’d have to pay for the beautician to travel to our place, but that was okay by me, after all this was a treat.   That day I had an appointment made, and was expecting at least a 2 week wait, but to my surprise, was told she’d be here at 3:30 that same day. She came by, and spent an hour with me, when she was finished, I handed her $50; $30 for treatment, $20 for petrol and traveling time. She turned to me, and handed me back the $20 and said ‘don’t worry about the travel’.   I am unable to talk, so was left to convey my gratefulness and appreciation with my eyes and a warm smile. She politely left, smiling, but I didn’t feel satisfied. Did she really know how grateful I was ... Read Full Story >>

Unspoken Contract With A Rickshaw Driver

"Where to?" the rickshaw driver asks me with his mouth full of tobacco. "Vijay Char Rasta," I say. I'm headed to meet a few friends to talk about the purpose of life and things like that. :) After some light conversation, the rickshaw driver and I quickly become friends. "Are you from Ahmedabad?" he asks me. "No, I'm just visiting a friend." "Just a visit?" "Yeah, he's opening a restaurant and he wanted my parents to inaugurate it. I'm helping him launch the café." "Café? You mean, it's like a Barista?" he asks showing his knowledge about the trendy coffee joints in town. "No, not quite like Barista. It's called the Seva Café." "Oh, what's that?" "Well, it's a place where most everyone is a volunteer, and no one gets charged for their food. It's going back to our cultural roots, where each person is treated as a ... Read Full Story >>

Pen Pals At The Airport

I travel a fair amount for work, and almost every hotel room I stay in has at least one pen.  If I pick it up even once to jot down a voice mail message or to scribble down a random idea that pops into my head, the pen usually ends up in my backpack and no matter how many times I have scolded myself to "LEAVE THE PENS" they somehow sneak home with me. A few years ago on a trip home I was waiting in line at the airport gate counter and the agent was frustrated because a customer had inadvertently walked off with her last pen.  I opened up my backpack and sure enough there were 5 pens, so I handed over all five and said, "Keep the change!"  She was so appreciative of the small gesture that I began packing 5 pens for every trip.  The airline employees ... Read Full Story >>

Tire-It-Forward

One of my friends, let's call him Jose, is one of those guys who doesn't even need to say anything and people will just feel comfortable in his presence. He is an amazingly compassionate guy, who will flat out tell you that his purpose in life is to bring more beauty on this planet. No, if's, and's, but's ... clear and simple, unwavering in his life mission. He doesn't need to convince anyone and he can't be swayed from it by anyone else. It's a funny story about how he learned his initial lesson of compassion.   He was madly in love with his high school sweet-heart for many years. He would do anything for her and she was the most important thing in the world to him. Until ... she left him oneday (perhaps she cheated on him before that). It hit him like a bucket of cold water. Never before had he ... Read Full Story >>

Lesson From A Janitor

It was five in the morning. The room smelt weird. I saw him, next to me, deep in slumber. I went up to the bathroom and got my answer to the stench. He had had a few extra drinks last night, must have puked all over the wash basin. The basin was clogged and the stench inside was unbearable. A little angry I came back in the room with half a mind to wake him up and ask him to clean up. I could hear his soft snores and knew that he needs that sleep to be normal the next morning. This happened when we were vacationing in Dubai during Diwali holidays. I called up the reception and in an embarrassed tone explained my problem. It was a five star property and the receptionist promised to send someone over within a minute. Before hanging up, I requested him to send ... Read Full Story >>

Beautiful Music To My Ears

My husband and I recently made a visit to see his mother, Gladys, who is in a nursing home with Alzheimer's.  I don't know a whole lot about this terrible disease but I am learning how quickly it can take over the memory.

We traveled many miles to visit Gladys and she was glad to see us but within just a few minutes, she even forgot that we were there!

My husband spotted a piano on the other side of the room and walked over to it and began to play a piece he had written many years ago hoping his mother would somehow recognize it.

I wish I could end this story saying she did but Gladys just contnued to eat her lunch.

The music was so beautiful!  Even I had a hard time believing that it was my own husband playing it.  Other people came out of their offices to watch him and one resident even remarked that she wished he would continue playing for a bit longer.

In the deepest of my hearts, I like to believe that Gladys heard the music.  I felt so proud of my husband.

Running On Empty

The other night I almost ran my car out of petrol so I took the next exit off the highway to pull into the nearest petrol station.  I only had $20 cash on me.  As I pulled in, hadn't even turned the car off, there was a young man walking towards the car next to me.  He spoke with the driver of the car and the driver shook her head "No" and then he approached my car.  Usually I would be cautious and let my "He looks shady and possibly a con" opinions control my actions - but not tonight.  I put aside my opinions and listened to him openly.  It turns out that he was traveling to a funeral, another 100kms away, and needed some money for petrol. He was in a sort of a stunned silence, when I said, "Sure."  Then I added, "But there's one condition."   With a ... Read Full Story >>

Kindness Karma on a Hot Summer Day

It is so often true that "what goes around, comes around," and that life lessons often walk in through the most unexpected doors. One hot summer, several years ago, my son and I were taking a trip by train. But first we had to take a bus into the city to the station to catch the train. I was a single Mom and as usual, since times were hard and money was very tight, we simply could not afford any extras. So we packed a large lunch bag of snacks and sandwiches, and had a small cooler filled with sodas to get us through the trip. We were still many miles from the train station, out in the middle of nowhere, when the bus suddenly completely broke down. The poor driver was mortified, and after calling ahead to the station, assured us, apologizing over and over, that they were sending another bus to rescue us. We ... Read Full Story >>

The Law of Garbage Trucks

[ Original story, by David J. Pollay ] Sixteen years ago I learned an important life lesson, in the back of a New York City taxi cab. I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station.  We were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by mere inches! The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and started yelling bad words at us.  My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy.  And I mean, he was actually friendly! So, I asked him, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and could've sent us to the hospital!" And this is when my taxi driver told me ... Read Full Story >>

Twelve Minute Cab Ride To Penn Station

"Penn Station," I told the cab driver.  The young, heavy-set man peered at me through his sunglasses and motioned me to get in. "I've got to get to JFK airport by 2:30PM.  You think I'll be able to get there via LIRR or should I cab it all the way?" I ask him, as I get comfortable in the back seat.  "Hmmm.  You should be okay.  Yeah, you'll make it.  It will be much cheaper to take the train," he replied in a mild South Asian accent. "Thanks," I told him.  Given his engaging nature, we naturally started a conversation, which went from the weather and quickly veered into the struggles of a cab driver's life.  "How long have you been driving cabs?"  "Three years."  "You like it?"  "It's really hard work.  Not all people are so nice.  I get tired, but what can you do?  You have to pay the bills."  ... Read Full Story >>

Paying With Conversation

As I was waiting for the bus, I saw a shuttle rickshaw and decided to hope in.  Inside, I found a mother sitting with her daughter. The little girl was absolutely precious -- all dressed up in a new outfit, her hair done, new shoes and a purse on her lap. I began talking to the little girl. They were headed to her aunt's house to celebrate the holiday.  She happily pointed out her school on route and told me about her shoes that squeak when she walks.  Her enthusiasm and smile were absolutely heartwarming. While conversing, I noticed something unusual. The driver wasn't stopping at the bus stops en route to pick up more passengers. In my mind, I began to think if this trip was going to cost more than the bus fare.  "Maybe I should have asked how much it was going to be before I jumped in," ... Read Full Story >>

A Death In The Sky

My husband was on a flight and as they were nearing their destination,  the Captain's voice came through the speaker bearing bad news -- "There has been a death on the plane." Shock and disbelief were the first reactions of the passengers. When everyone looked back,  they saw the dead man's son grieving silently.  He looked so alone with his Dad's body lying at the end of the plane. My husband, having lost both parents over the past year, overcame his initial shock and geared into action. He asked the flight attendant  for an empty container and he went to each passenger and asked for any expression of love.   Most people gave money.  Another gentleman got up with another empty container and helped him to go around since the first container was getting full.  The outpouring of help was touching.  Whatever was collected, my husband and the other gentleman went straight to deceased father and ... Read Full Story >>

Hiker Joe and The Circle Of Life

I work in a bank and have lovely relationships with many of the customers.  Its not one of those banks with long lines -- its the kind of bank when you walk in, everyone says hi, we know when your husband has surgery, or the grandkids are coming for the weekend, we know your name and speak like friends.  One of my customers in his 70's owns and runs a barber school in East Baltimore.  He is connected with several nonprofits and I have 2 nonprofits of my own - we are like kindred spirits!  One days, he said to me that I really had to meet his niece in Florida -- Dee.  The next day Dee called me and we talked about her projects of gathering blankets for the homeless and pitching in the community wherever there is need.   We spoke for over an hour and found out how much we ... Read Full Story >>

A Tank Of Gas

Many years ago a kind farmer bought  a tank of gas for a stranded mom with 2 children.  He wouldnt accept any money and just smiled, waved and said pass it on to someone else.  And so a few weeks ago as my husband and I were filling up our car with a coupon for 99 cents a gallon, I went in to pay and got into a long line.  I could see up ahead a young man who was having some kind of problem and realized he had misunderstood the coupon and thought it was 99 cents to fill his small truck.  Everyone was saying, "99 cents a gallon is unbelieveable - they cant give the gas away."  He was embarressed and was just calling his wife when I got to the counter.  He said to his wife, "Just come down cuz I dont have that much on me."  I ... Read Full Story >>

Hawaiian Gratuity for a Special Waitress

After I married, we honeymooned in Hawaii. Both of us enjoyed our ten day stay-- the islands are gorgeous, the people loving, gracious and spiritual, the sunrises/sunsets one more spectacular then the next, the rainbows miraculously appearing each afternoon after a brief rain and the flowers so brightyly colored and diverse. What a paradise!  We returned to one restaurant several times in Maui because I loved the buffet, the service, the outdoor tables where I could feed the birds, the ocean view and it was close to our hotel.  I befriended a waitress who symbolized the Hawaiin people to me:  she was plump, middle-aged, super friendly, greeting us each time with a huge, warm smile, twinkling eyes, a deep booming laugh and a hug. She was quite chatty and so am I so we bonded instantly.  She shared some of her life stories with us, which was so sad: hubby ... Read Full Story >>

You Changed My Life

My husband and I are lucky to have landed together in a new country just a month ago. We were sort of afraid about what's in store for us. When we landed at the airport, a tall man with smiling eyes greeted us. The days and months were somehow made easy for us by this kind man. He greeted us everyday with his smiling face. He accompanied us in going to the bank, in buying our groceries, in telling us where to buy paint, where the coffee shop is, where to have key duplication, where to buy almost everything. He told us he is our big brother. Twice, we watched the match in a coffee shop. During the first get together, we saw how his eyes beamed in happiness. He told us that we're lucky - my husband and I are together in this foreign land.  He said he has been ... Read Full Story >>

Making My Life Worth It

One day, after I finished my classes at university and was heading towards the bus station to go home, I kept thinking about how miserable my life was and how I couldn't succeed in anything. I was really sad and I thought I'd never do anything worth it in my life.

Then, I arrived at the bus station. I was looking around and watching people passing by.  I saw this very old lady who was carrying a very heavy bag. I kept watching her for a while and noticed that she was struggling to walk while carrying this bag. So, I decided to go up to her and offer to carry the bag and walk with her to wherever she was going.  She looked at me, shocked at first, but then she gave me the bag and smiled :) I walked with her until she reached her destination and I handed her the bag. She was still smiling and kept thanking me and wishing me the best of everything.

I really can't describe how happy I felt after she left. Yes, I made her happy but I was the happiest person on earth at this moment. It feels great to help people and makes my life feel worth it!!

From a Flood to a Hug with Kindness

The late evening train from Glasgow was battling the worst of the winter weather and the driver was proceeding more on hope than anything. Weeks of rain had meant the line might or might not be flooded - and he wouldn't know until he got there! Well, it was flooded. So he backed up to the nearest station where we sat and waited for about half an hour with no one knowing what was going on. I didn't mind. I wasn't going home to anyone, I had music to listen to and it wouldn't be the first night I had slept on a train. But not everyone would be in that position. Then the lights went out. Still there was no announcement. We sat another half an hour then the driver announced he was taking the train back to Glasgow and anyone who didn't want to come with it should get out now.  ... Read Full Story >>

The Moment That Didn't Need Words

When Julie and I were on our honeymoon in the Dominican Republic we were mostly cocooned in one of those all-inclusive resorts. (The image of paradise was slightly altered when I discovered that the far reaches of the beach had armed guards!) We went on a coach trip across the island to visit the capitol city (where Columbus first landed in the New World, I think.) We had a good day and were well fleeced as tourists should be. On the way back we were driving through a jungle area. The kind of place where women still wash clothes on the rocks by the rivers. The driver pulled over and let a matronly lady, loaded down with bags, climb on board. She sat well away from us tourists and never said a word. But an hour into the journey she developed one of those really annoying, dry, tickly coughs. They were really ... Read Full Story >>

Scouts Honor on a Full Flight

My 9-year-old daughter and I were flying from our home in Charlotte, North Carolina, to spend a week with my husband in Miami, Florida. Mike had been in Florida for five months working for an internet start-up company. We were excited about the trip because we had seen him only five times in five months, and Kallie missed her Dad terribly. As usual on the Charlotte-to-Miami flight, the plane was totally full. I had noticed a troop of Boy Scouts at the gate and commented to my daughter that if anything happened, we would be OK with all those Scouts on our flight! Little did I know.... Because we did not get our boarding passes until we arrived at the gate, Kallie and I could not get seats together and were separated by the aisle. That wasn't such a big deal, except that Kallie was nervous about the trip and had counted ... Read Full Story >>

The Domino Effect of Sack Lunches

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat.  It was  going to be a long flight.. 'I'm glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap too,' I thought.    Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and  Filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me.  I decided  to start a  conversation.  'Where are you headed?' I asked the soldier seated nearest to me.  'Petawawa.  We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we're being deployed to Afghanistan.'    After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars.  It would be several hours before we reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time..    As I reached for my wallet, I overheard soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch.  'No, that ... Read Full Story >>

The Challenges of Travelling with Children

For my birthday, Julie booked a coach trip to Liverpool. It's where I went to college thirty years ago and I hadn't been back since. We had a great time!   Watching the passengers embark on the coach as we got ready to head to Liverpool, I was a little dismayed to see a couple get on with two boys, both under five. We were gonna be on the coach for four hours. Would they act up? Or be sick? Or would it just be too boring for them?  It turned out they were great!  No doubt about it. Travelling like that with two lively little boys would take both parents full attention. And they did seem to work well together. In the hotel (a hotel that was once the pride of the city, now a bit dowdy, but still spectacular!) the parents got through the meals by working as a tag-team and never leaving ... Read Full Story >>

In Flight From San Francisco

Airports, even familiar airport, are very difficult to negotiate alone, when you have lost a good deal of your eyesight, as I have.  Boarding a recent flight out of San Francisco, I sank into my seat with relief and belted myself in.  I was seated at the bulk head on the aisle.  The window seat was occupied by an elegant older man.  There was an empty seat between us.  Looking to escape the tension of the past half hour, I put my purse on it and took out a murder mystery and began to read.  When lunch was served an hour later, I was deeply engrossed, the book inches from my nose.  We were given a salad, a bagel, and a pint container of yogurt.  Times have changed. Continuing to read, I tucked into my plate until my seatmate gasped in dismay.  Turning my head slightly, I saw that he had ... Read Full Story >>