First Steps: Aviation Lessons

On delays, missed flights, and what I learned about myself along the way

Mar 14, 2025

Airports are a magical limbo—a place that is neither here nor there, a transit point between the life that was and the life that will be.

Before I started my journey, I expected the challenges to be waiting for me at the destinations themselves, not on the way to them. But right from the first stage, as I passed through the gates of the terminal, I realized that the journey doesn’t start when you arrive at the destination—it starts the moment you decide to begin.

Airports became my personal lab for learning about patience, flexibility, and dealing with the unexpected. Here are three moments from my travel journal that illustrate how the first step—the one that seems like it should be the easiest—became a journey in itself.

📍 Tel Aviv Airport , Israel | September 14, 2022

The First Step

I Tried Flying to Mexico Today; Maybe Tomorrow I’ll Succeed.

Turns out, my layover in Toronto requires a special entry authorization for Canada - not quite a visa, but close enough to cause trouble.

It should've been a simple online form, but of course, the website crashed. The system message promised it'd be back up by afternoon, long after my flight would've taken off without me.

Thankfully, the airline advised me to rebook. I was already panicking, looking at alternative flights that cost double, because I'm dead set on making this dream happen!

They rebooked me on the same flight for tomorrow, free of charge, with a gentle reminder to "get that authorization sorted by then, okay?"

I trudged home, feeling deflated. First step: failed. But I'm not one to give up easily. I kept refreshing the website every few minutes after they said it'd be back up.

When it finally loaded, I was faced with endless forms asking for the same information over and over, demanding a "good enough" reason for my visit. One page even pleaded, "Please don't come to Canada if you don't have to," followed by a barrage of COVID and vaccine questions. What is this, 2020 all over again?

Just when I thought all hope was lost, the magic words appeared: "Your request has been approved."

I was stunned, right there at the check-in counter at Ben Gurion Airport. Suddenly, I felt anxious. This isn't like me - I'm usually the responsible one, the organizer.

Sure, I've missed flights before (not always my fault), but I thought I had it together this time.

Wish me better luck tomorrow!

📍 Tel Aviv Airport , Israel | September 15, 2022

I'm Off on My Journey!

A Snowball of Mishaps – Maybe It’s Because I’m on My Way to Canada?

This time, I made it.
I didn't want to write anything until I reached Canada, to make sure that the dark cloud hanging over me yesterday had blown away with the wind, making room for purple clouds full of good vibes.
That same dark cloud that caused me, among other things, to lose my passport for a few very (!) stressful hours yesterday, only to finally realize it had fallen out at the airport and was waiting for me at the information desk.
It's okay, you're allowed to make that same disappointed face the clerk gave me when he handed it over. I would too.

Despite everything, and with a lot of prayers that the plane wouldn't crash because I was on it (maybe God can hear better from up here), I landed in Toronto, after an 11.5-hour flight that took off at noon and landed at 5 PM (talk about time travel).

The flight was wonderful, not business class like I'm used to (haha), but an empty seat next to me, skies lit up in purple, movies, alcohol, what's not to like?
I'm spending the night in Toronto, and tomorrow morning I'm flying to Cancun on a 4-hour flight. Maybe after I enter Mexico, I'll finally be able to relax. Maybe.

📍 Cancun Airport , Mexico | January 7, 2022

The Race to the Plane

A 24-Hour Journey That Started with a Two-Hour Delay

I expected leaving Mexico to be tough, but I didn't anticipate it turning into a real-life obstacle course.

It all started when my flight got delayed by two hours, only to be moved up by an hour shortly after. Talk about mixed signals!
I was on a bus from Tulum to Cancun, a solid two-hour ride plus inevitable traffic. Needless to say, I didn't make it.

Missing flights isn't new to me, but it never gets less stressful. Whether it's the airline's fault (and they scramble to fix it) or my own (way less fun), it's always a big deal. Flights are like dominos – one falls, and suddenly your whole trip is in chaos.

I've learned the hard way not to relax until I'm actually on the plane. Once, I made it to the gate and then. . . well, let's just say the plane didn't wait for my nap to end.
Ouch. This time, I arrived 20 minutes before takeoff.

Surprise, surprise – check-in was closed. I found myself explaining to a very confused ticketing agent, in my best sleep-deprived-but-trying-to-be-nice voice, that I needed to get to Germany. Today. Somehow.

After what felt like an eternity of phone calls and confusion, they found me a flight through Amsterdam in two hours. Great! Except now the only thing that could make me late for this flight was. . . the person helping me.

Irony, thy name is airport customer service. I finally made it to the new check-in counter, where the agent dropped this bomb: "You know you're overweight, right?" For a split second, my sleep-deprived brain went, "Yeah, and I'm perfectly happy with myself, thank you very much. " Then I realized – oh, right, he meant the luggage.

Classic mix-up. "Yeah, I expected that," I replied, trying to keep my cool. "Sometimes you can play the game and move stuff to the carry-on, but this time even that's overweight. " "That'll be $100," he said, matter-of-factly.

I couldn't help but push back. "So, you're asking me to pay extra now, after I already paid for a window seat that I'm not getting?" "I found you a window seat," he replied, leaving me wondering if my communication skills were failing due to exhaustion or if people were just. . . being creative with the truth.

Finally, on the plane, I'm ready to pass out.
I walk past these amazing legroom seats in the first row of the economy and by the emergency exits, thinking how lucky those passengers are. Then I realize – wait, that's me! Window seat and all, in row 30 with extra legroom. Sometimes the travel gods do smile at you.

But the universe wasn't done with me yet. My seatmate decided to turn our row into his personal coughing zone, consistently aiming in my direction. I mean, if you're going to spread germs, at least be democratic about it, right?

I caught up on sleep, hoping tomorrow would be smoother. Spoiler alert: it wasn't. But hey, that's travel for you – never a dull moment!

Looking back on these moments, I realize they were a kind of initiation into my nomadic life. Maybe it’s no coincidence that airports were the place where my new life began to take shape. With every missed connection, delay, or hiccup, I learned to accept the complete lack of control that comes with a true journey.

I learned that transformation doesn’t only happen through the experiences at the destinations themselves, but also—and perhaps more importantly—through the way we handle the obstacles along the way.

Every airport, every missed flight, every sprint to the gate became a small life lesson about what really matters: it’s not about arriving on time or according to the plan, but about showing up, and continuing to move forward despite everything. Because at the end of the day, the journey is the destination.