It has come to my attention that I haven't shared much of my travels with anyone outside of my immediate friend/family group. So I have decided that when a memory falls from my subconscious and starts rolling around in my thoughts, I will direct it to this blog. Maybe you will enjoy some of the stories, maybe you won't. I hope you will though.
I would like to preface my story with a disclaimer: None of my travels here nor there would have been possible without the unending grace of a beautiful God who opens incredible doors. There was a time in my life when I thought I knew what I wanted. But God kindly shut the doors on those things to make room for experiences I could have never dreamed of. Praise be to the Lord who knows us (and our dreams and ambitions) better than we know ourselves.
Before I began my journey to Istanbul, Turkey, I prayed and PRAYED and prayed that there would be no delays, no miscommunications, no cancellations...nothing that might upset the itinerary of my trip. Secure in the assumption that nothing would go wrong, I began my trip. My flight from Vancouver, BC., to Toronto, Ontario was flawless. I arrived in the Toronto airport and practically ran to my next gate. Satisfied that I was just a smidge early, I plopped down in a seat and waited. Then an announcement was made: 2 hour delay. I cringed. Then another announcement: another hour or two delay. I can't quite remember. But then it came: that terrifyingly impossible obstacle that I had prayed so hard against...my flight was cancelled.
They herded us like cows to a counter to sort things out. As we were stampeding, I turned to a girl that was next to me, I can't even remember what I said, but we started talking. Her name is Anni. She was traveling by herself as well. We stood in line (a long line) and chatted for a while. When we got to the counter, we were informed that we would be staying the night in Toronto and would be leaving the following evening. We were shuttled to a hotel, and we got adjacent rooms. We went to dinner together, then to breakfast the following morning. We explored Toronto together during the day, and hopped on our plane to Warsaw, Poland (from which she had a connecting flight to Germany, and I had a connecting flight to Istanbul). We went our separate ways. About a month and a half later, we started talking online. I mentioned something like "if you are still in Germany when I am finished with my commitments in Turkey, we should go somewhere." And to my surprise, she was up for it! So we ended up going to Berlin, Paris, Rome, and Dresden each for a few days. Her Dad had planned out everything for us magnificently. It was such an incredible trip. (More stories to follow. It was quite the entertaining trip.)
This story prefaces quite a few stories I will share. But I think this might be one of the best, because it shows how God said no to something I wanted SO badly...because he had a greater plan that brought me to places I wouldn't have dreamed I would be able to go to at that time.
So much love,
Marlies
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