Other than getting back to Piper, I am never ready for a trip to be over. That said, like everyone, once the time comes, if I gotta go, I just want to get there. And so I found myself on a Monday night at Philadelphia International Airport, sitting on one of our suitcases outside Arrivals, waiting with all our bags for my husband to retrieve our car from the parking garage where it had been all week. The flight from Seattle had gone quickly considering the actual time in the air, but at 6 pm local time, the 4 am west coast alarm seemed days ago.
I received a text from Mister Rain that he had reached our vehicle, then a few minutes later another, “The car won’t start.” The following exchanges came next:
Me: Ok. Stay. Calm.
Me: I googled to see if there is an airport AAA.
MR: Is there?
Me: Don’t see anything plus my cell phone is dying.
MR: Ok
Me: Google PHL Airport Info. I will look on iPad.
MR: Going to Marriott.
(We had stayed there the night before we flew to Seattle.)
Me: OK
Me: They say Philadelphia Parking Authority at airport can jump it.
Me: Can’t find a number.
MR: I got it.
MR: I got Parking Authority. They told me put hood up, be here in 20 minutes.
Me: Ok
MR: Sorry
Me: Sh*t happens. No worries. We had a great trip.
MR: Yep.
Have no fear, your short-tempered (especially when she needs a bath and her parrot) is still here. But in that moment all that mattered was that we were safely back in Pennsylvania and that our trip had been fantastic. We would get home later than we expected, but for once, the small stuff did not make me sweat. What I learned that night is that there is power in thinking like this . . . no battery required.
P.S. You know it was a helluva vacation when, once on the road, my husband told me he had left the interior light on all week. I didn’t yell or curse or even flinch.
Yes, it was a helluva vacation.
#sisterrain #alittlesightalotofheart #legallyblindwriter #philadelphiainternationalairport #powerthatneedsnobattery
