No matter where I have traveled, the distance or the time it took to get there, I have always experienced delays or cancellations at one point or another. On my return from Europe last year, I ended up missing my flight, having another one cancelled, having the bus break down while switching airports and then catching a third flight in the middle of the night home to Toronto.

Situations don’t always work out the way you want them to, but it is always important to make the best of it.

There is no use moping around feeling miserable for yourself when there are other people at that very moment probably in a lost worse shape than you. I am currently sitting in the Mulhouse, France train station waiting for a train to Basel, Switzerland which is already 1.5 hours delayed – along with many other trains at this station as well. Chances are something terrible has happened on the other end of the station while I am sitting here watching people pace and stress and complain at the terminal. For all we know someone could have fallen onto the tracks and died, and we have people sitting here complaining about how terrible there lives are. The best thing to do in a shitty situation is lighten up and embrace your free time to the best of your ability. While others pace back and forth, Paul and I are quietly sitting here (secretly a little impatient) reading magazines and blogging during our wait.

I wonder how many people here today waiting for this 1.5 hour delayed train have had their car break down in the middle of the woods, taken several trains, waited at several different stations and for several hours… We started our journey early this morning packing up our camp site around 9:00 AM. It is now 11:00 PM and we still have quite a few hours ahead of us from France to Switzerland back into Germany. Yet – somehow we have still managed to stay calm and enjoy the best of the situation we are currently in.

This happens so often while traveling, which is why I am so great at handling these situations now. Prepare for it, expect it and be pleasantly surprised when it doesn’t happen to you.

So after you’ve read this, and the next time you find yourself in this situation, just remember:

• Someone out there has it far worse than you right now
• It’s not the end of the world
• Just think of it as free time and do what you would like to (write a to-do list for when you get home, dot jot some places you would like to visit in the future, play a game of solitaire, plan an event, etc.)
• and then… JUST SMILE 🙂 Don’t worry, be happy!

For inspiration about travelling the world, check out the following posts: Why You Should Travel Now, How to Create Your Own Blog, How to Break Out of Habit and Travel the World, The Best Quotes to Inspire You to Travel, The Bucket List.