My first big vacation with my son turned into a nightmare when we had 2 flights canceled. It’s now one of my favorite memories as a single mom.

• I was happy to take my son to our first big vacation together when I was 4 years old.
• On our way home, we had two canceled flights, and at first, he felt like a nightmare.
• However, we could turn it around, and it became one of my favorite memories.

When my son was 4 years old, I took him to our First big vacation. It was the first time we traveled outside the State, and we had to take a plane to reach our destination. At that time, it was also a big problem for me to take a full week of work, but being able to take my son in a true vacation had long been a goal of mine.

We went to Vermont, where my family had a cabin next to the lake, and we spent the week walking along several trails, canoeing, visiting the farmers’ markets and roasting the s’mores while being tied at night in the backyard. Be from FloridaThe forest and life on the mountain were strangers for my son, and I was proud to find a way to share a completely new environment with him. As we stayed with the family and we focus on free open -air activities, my only cost for the entire trip was our aerial passage.

The cabin was quite remote, which was excellent for really experiencing the desert, but it was a two -and -a -half -hour trip to New Hampshire airport. After our family left us in our departure day and led to the cabin, our late The flight was canceled. My initial reaction was fear.

When our flight was canceled back late at night, I was scared

While I was used to Be a single motherI was out of my comfort zone, stranded in an airport with my little son. I spent hours in a ticket line with my mind going a mile per minute, worrying that my whole son passed beyond his time to sleep how long we would be waiting for a new flight.

The airline offered us a different flight in the morning. It was not realistic to ask our family to lead again to the airport, and I felt insecure sleeping only at the airport with a small child, so I begged a Hotel coupon. Then, after carrying a transport service to the hotel, sleeping there, eating courtesy breakfast and carrying the transport service back to the airport, our morning flight was also canceled.

After our flight was canceled for the second time, I changed marching

This time, the airline told me that I had no other flight Until the next day, and I could negotiate a second hotel coupon. I looked at my son feeling worse for him than myself. I decided to spend money, I had no commercial expenses in a rental car so that we do not have to trust the ferry.

I got on the New England highway and found a goal, where I bought an easy -to -prepare meal to occupy my son that afternoon. We pass the rest of that day in the hotel room Eating peanut butter and jam sandwiches and apple sauce while I helped him gather a battle scene of Lego Batman and Joker.

After spending money in a car and several survival articles in Target, I decided to continue taking advantage of our situation and took my son to the restaurant attached to the hotel. That option was when I finally had a real turning point.

At dinner, I had an unexpected transforming experience

While my hopes for the quality of the diner had been extremely low, it was like walking towards a movie game, with a red and white square floor, red vinyl booths to coincide, models of airplanes that hang from the roof and one of These filing cake exhibitions with so many desserts that seemed a mirage. My son was euphoric, to say at least.

I let my son get what I wanted, including a shake with whipped cream and sparks. He The server became friendly with usBringing a paper pilot hat, additional crayons and drawing paper. We felt comfortable with each other and she shared that her son of the same age was at home with her mother at night. I felt as if we could see ourselves reflected in the other, the great amount of love we had for our children, how much we wanted them to be happy and the time spent far from them to keep them.

I left him a great tip and took my son to bed, comforted to know that he had kept us safe during a stressful event that challenged me and scared me. Not only that, but by hugging the situation, I actually extended our vacations. Those 36 hours trapped in Limbo turned out to be the best part of those vacations. I was awake that night feeling renewed and reflective. Although I was working to the bone, it was worth it for now.

When we got home, I felt stronger

I went home to Florida feeling safer of my raising ability and knowing that I would continue to find a way of making sure to allow me more than that: the privilege of being able to take a time from work to spend with my son, the emergency funds For unexpected events, and even waste for when they can really improve a situation.

What began as what he felt like a high stress nightmare that would never end became a valuable experience for me as a single mother, as well as one of the best memories I have with my son at that age.