Bad times can be the best times
What starts as a bad time can sometimes become one of your best and most memorable experiences.
When you're on the road, there's always a chance that something will go wrong and upset your plans. And, as RVers, we know that all too often, it does.
All you can do is be as prepared as possible, have a positive attitude, and hope for the best. Who knows, maybe it will turn into an enjoyable and memorable experience—yeah, right.
When you're traveling, whether you're RVing, flying, hiking, or whatever, you can't escape the fact that unexpected things happen.
Here's one such story:
Several years ago (back before I even knew what an RV was), I was flying a small plane from South Carolina to Pennsylvania. The weather forecast wasn't perfect, but it looked like it was going to be okay.
But when you're flying in the Appalachian mountains, you can never be certain about the weather.
I was in the western part of Virginia when thunderstorms started forming all around me.
Two sayings that every new pilot learns came to mind
#1. I would rather be on the ground wishing I was in the air than in the air wishing I was on the ground.
#2. There are old pilots and bold pilots, but there are not many old, bold pilots.
With these two thoughts in mind, I quickly started looking for a place to land. I found a little airstrip and landed my plane.
The weather looked like it was not going to clear up soon, and it was getting late in the afternoon. There were no motels in the area, but the manager told me he could take me to a small hotel a few miles up the mountain.
The weather didn't clear up for two days, but I didn't get stressed out since there was nothing I could do about the situation. I had brought a good book with me, and I enjoyed two days relaxing, watching it rain, and reading my book.
A final comment: It's always a good idea to carry a book you're looking forward to reading while traveling. You never know when you're going to get stranded overnight or longer. Whether in a mountain, getaway, or downtown in a large city, you can look forward to getting stranded when you travel with a good book.
Note: The picture at the top of this page is not a picture of where I spent two nights. I didn't take a picture and don't remember the hotel's name or even the nearest town's name. (And there wasn't any snow like is shown in the picture.)
Bottom line: There was no way I could have planned a trip like that, but it turned out to be one of the most memorable, relaxing, and enjoyable trips I can recall.