75 Hard Restart Day 4: Airport Chaos, Lost Luggage & Travel Stress
Restart Day 4.
Day 4 technically started on the red eye flight.
And I maybe got one hour of sleep total.
Maybe.
It was Memorial Day weekend and graduation season, so the plane was packed like a can of sardines.
I tried everything to get comfortable:
leaning on the window
folding onto the tray table
pulling my legs up
But let’s just say Southwest Airlines is not exactly designed for luxurious sleeping arrangements.
The Airport Sprint
We were barely touching down at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport around 6:05 AM…
which was also the exact time my connecting flight was supposed to start boarding.
Perfect.
Except we didn’t actually get off the plane until almost 6:15.
The second I stepped off the plane, I asked for directions to my next gate and immediately started running.
And let me just tell you:
Thurgood Marshall Airport is NOT small.
I landed in the A wing.
My next flight was in the C wing.
Which meant:
running one direction
up a flight of stairs
then back the opposite direction
and even farther
And the second I hit the main level, I realized there was no way I was making this flight in Birkenstocks.
So I kicked my shoes off.
Which means yes…
I was fully sprinting through the airport:
in my socks
Birks in hand
small duffle bag over my shoulder
Absolutely thriving.
The Girl Who Fell
At one point, I was probably fourth in line in the race toward the gate.
And then the woman in front of me tripped and fell.
Without even thinking, I grabbed her luggage and yelled:
“Come on girl, let’s go!”
And just kept running.
She popped back up and started running with me.
We were like semi-professional athletes, with how smoothly I passed her luggage back to her, mid run.
And as we got close to the gate, we heard them over the loudspeaker announcing they were closing the doors.
The woman yelled:
“DON’T YOU CLOSE THAT DOOR ON ME!”
Meanwhile the two people ahead of us were already making it to the counter trying to stop them from shutting the gate.
I finally made it there:
completely out of breath
still in my socks
scanned my ticket on my phone…
and then looked behind me.
There were almost 50 people still running toward the gate behind us.
So needless to say…
the flight ended up delayed.
We didn’t leave for another 45 minutes.
Lost Luggage Chaos
When we finally landed, I grabbed an Americano and headed to baggage claim.
Only to find out:
they lost my luggage.
Of course they did.
And the ironic part?
When boarding the first flight, they asked for volunteers to check carry-ons.
And because I wanted the flight to leave faster, I volunteered mine.
So this was apparently my reward for being cooperative.
At this point I was standing there in:
oversized sweats
Birkenstocks
no toothbrush
no makeup
no extra clothes
The only things in my little gym bag were:
my daughter’s fresh leis from Hawaii
my laptop
chargers
That’s it.
Bagels, Dorms & Emotional Support Shopping
So I headed to Dunkin' for a bagel with cream cheese and then made my way to my daughter’s dorm.
We checked in with her, walked around campus, made a plan for the weekend…
and then headed to Target to buy emergency clothes and toiletries.
At first I was trying to stay calm about the luggage situation…
until I realized:
I was wearing a sports bra.
Meaning I either had to:
buy shirts that worked with a sports bra
ORbuy an actual bra
And I HATE buying bras.
I buy one brand because I already know they fit:
Adore Me
And if I don’t like them, I can return them easily.
So now I’m irritated.
And then on top of that:
one two-piece outfit
a jean jacket
sandals
toiletries
ended up costing almost $300.
And while that’s not some outrageous luxury shopping spree…
it also wasn’t money I planned on spending.
So at this point?
I’m officially upset.
The Plot Twist
Then…
right as we were getting ready to head to the hotel for early check-in…
I got the text.
They found my luggage.
Immediately:
back to the airport.
And thankfully the woman at the customer service desk was amazing.
She made sure I got my $150 voucher for the inconvenience.
Thank you ma’am.
Because at that point I felt like I had earned it.
Back to Campus + Graduation Weekend Energy
After finally arriving at the hotel, I quickly got ready so we could head right back to campus.
And from there, the rest of the day became a blur of chasing my daughter and her friends all over Brown University.
Walking across campus.
Meeting people.
Taking photos.
Changing plans every 20 minutes.
That graduation weekend energy where nobody fully knows what’s happening but everybody’s excited anyway.
And somewhere in all of that…
we completely skipped lunch.
Dinner at Parkside
By dinner, we were starving.
So we went to Parkside Rotisserie & Bar.
And dinner was incredible.
We started with:
oysters on the half shell
calamari
And I had a mocktail that tasted like a fancy sparkling lemonade.
Then for my entrée, I ordered this massive pork chop with roasted vegetables.
And when I say massive…
I mean MASSIVE.
I barely ate maybe a fourth of it before I was full.
Ending the Night Exhausted
After dinner, we dropped my daughter back off at her dorm around 8 PM and headed back to the hotel.
And at that point?
I was exhausted.
Like blurry-eyed exhausted.
But before I let myself sit down or relax too much, I immediately changed clothes and headed to the hotel gym.
Because I already knew:
if I sat down first, the workout probably wasn’t happening.
So I got on the elliptical and did 45 minutes.
Then showered.
Read my pages with barely-open eyes.
And completely crashed afterward.
What I’m Noticing on Restart Day 4
Travel days really test your ability to stay regulated.
Because nothing goes according to plan.
Flights delay.
Luggage disappears.
You spend money you didn’t plan to spend.
You sprint through airports in socks.
And I think this is where feminine and masculine energy matter again.
The masculine helps you keep moving:
solve the problem
get to the gate
keep the schedule moving
handle logistics
But the feminine reminds you:
don’t spiral
breathe
adapt
laugh at the chaos when possible
Because once things are already going wrong…
you can either become your own biggest support system or your own worst enemy.
Restart Day 4 Complete
Airport sprint.
Lost luggage.
Hotel gym workout.
Still aligned.
