Last weekend, I flew to Dallas and someone took my carry-on suitcase!! Our plane was late and there were a lot of passengers that had a tight connection so there was a mad dash off the plane. I grabbed a suitcase from the overhead bin and as I was walking down the jetway, it slowly dawned on me that it wasn't my suitcase. It looked nearly identical. Of course, neither one of us had put a luggage tag on our suitcases. Who would have thought that my carry-on bag would be taken!
It was a two-hour adventure of a wild goose chase around the airport to try and track down the person who had my suitcase before finally admitting defeat. I left their bag with Baggage Claim and left the airport empty-handed.
I was so hungry after not eating all morning so I set aside my original plan went to a Whole Foods near the hotel. When I got up to the cashier, I realized that she was one of my former yoga students!! I called the airline to file a claim for my bag and the woman on the phone was shocked and said "wow, you've just taught me so many life lessons of always putting a name tag on my suitcase!!" My friends were arriving soon and fortunately I could borrow clothing from them for the weekend and I could get any toiletries I needed. A few hours later, I got a call saying that they had found my suitcase!!!!!!!!!
Through all of this, it was my attitude that kept me from freaking. the. fuck. out. It helped me see that I could rely on the kindness of others and that my friends have my back. If this had happened a few years ago, it would have been a tantrum and tear-filled terrible day that could have ruined my trip. I would have been angry at everyone, scared, and hopeless.
But I knew through it all, that I would eventually get my stuff back and I released any expectations around timing. I knew that I could get through the weekend regardless of whether or not I had my bags. I know that if none of this had happened, I wouldn't have ended up at that Whole Foods to see my former student.
And there's so much delight in imagining the face of the person who opened up my suitcase to find 4 tarot and oracle decks and thinking "oh shit, I just fucked with the wrong witch."