TRAVEL TO CHICAGO; THUNDERSTORMS AND FLOODING

Leaving after a month is Grass Valley, CA, I was heading back east, feeling like I wanted to visit my relatives, once last time....once last time before what? Before the "J" word! You don't mean 'job' do you? Yes, it feels like the time is coming close for the end of my "Year in a Suitcase!" Certainly, the year, logistically is over, but I'm living in the 'Second Half of Life,' and it just didn't 'feel' like the year is up! So I packed my bags, adding one larger suitcase to my normal backpack and 22" carry-on and headed to Chicago, via Kansas and Missouri. I had a lovely visit with my brother/ cousin and families. For my short flight to Milwaukee, I decided that I would check my baggage, after all, it's just an hour, non-stop flight....what could possibly happen to my baggage? Flooding and thunderstorms, that's what! My flight was due to leave at 8:40PM and by midnight they had decided to detour the plane to Chicago where we could catch a flight the next morning to Milwaukee. (I was to fly to Milwaukee where my daughter had a basketball camp.) I at least had a sweater and shawl, oh, and of course my pillow, in my back pack and so I slept on the floor of Midway Airport in Chicago. 5AM announcement, "We'll let you know at 7:30AM when the Milwaukee airport will re-open! Now, it's time to take matters into my own hands! At least I was in Chicago and could get public transportation to my daughter's house, even if she wasn't there! The 'el' began to run again after closing down at midnight. So I hopped on the 'el,' to downtown, where I had to find the Metra rail train, (not so easy, however a lovely time to be in downtown Chicago), and took the hour plus train ride to the suburbs. When I arrived, it was pouring rain, so I treated myself to a 5 mile cab ride! Now there was a point to why I was telling this story....oh yes....while I made it to Chicago, my luggage spent the week in Milwaukee, and just arrived via Fed EX, 6 days after my journey had begun! The moral of the story....I never check my bag....but it did lead to an adventure!

Waiting...God's Plan, gently unfolds!

As you may remember yesterday, I went back to the motor home with my tail between my legs when my plans for getting home didn't match God's plan!

We ended up the next day at the Crazy Horse Monument in, well, where ever the Crazy Horse Monument is, you know, next to Mt Rushmore! We are looking around, and my friend came to me and said, "You've got to meet this lady. She's moving into the second half of life and I told her about your being a motivational speaker...she wants to meet you!"

We found our way back to her and I introduced myself and we talked a little and then I said, "These are the 2 questions I ask myself. I find out what the longing of the soul and the true desire of my heart is when I answer them, because my perceptions no longer get in the way. 1). What would you do if you weren't afraid...what are you afraid of? 2). What would you do if it wasn't about money? "

My friend had already told her the story of her moving out of her house and purchasing her motor home and her desire to travel. Then I told her the story of my renting my house out (so that I was free for 6 months to go where life lead me and selling my car so I could take 2 classes that were interesting to me, one in San Francisco and one in Hawaii.
None of this came without my famous "panty twist" and and my usual arguing with God. I then told her of my "pushing" to get a flight home and when I finally stopped, I realized, it's not right and so now I'm just waiting and watching to see what unfolds.

She asked me, "Did you get a ticket home yet?" "No, I haven't." You'll never believe what she said next, "I am an ex flight attendant for an airline and I have one companion pass left to use. I have offered it to my children and no one has wanted it so far. I'll check once again and if they don't want it, you can have it!"

It's not all firmed up yet, and it doesn't matter if this works the way it looks like it might or not, the point is, I've seen it over and over, when I'm open and stop pushing....God's plan gently unfolds!