Whenever I'm on a vacation and something goes awry, as it inevitably does, my first reaction is to have a meltdown. There are exceptions. Sometimes my husband is having one as well and I make a calculated judgment to hold off on mine until his over. If you rant at the same time nobody listens and you end up end more frustrated. Every rant is important!
Once the energy has been expended, the air gone out of the balloon and hope lost, we turn to each other and wonder: How will we get free our rental car freed from the 12th century stone wedged under the wheel when it's midnight on a Monday in Cortona, Italy? How will we get out train to Paris when we're stuck in a car ferry under the English Channel with our two dogs in the midst of a riot/strike?
It's in that all is lost moment, I always say, "This is the best part of the trip! This will be the story we will tell and retell." And it's absolutely true. Nobody wants to hear about the scenery or the weight you gained because of all the food you consumed. What you need is one good story to make every trip memorable. When faced with catastrophe on a trip, take notes or turn on your camera's video! Here are some pics. (Our entire Cortona car debacle on video on my travel website: HereNotThere.net)
