TEL AVIV, Israel – after an amazing 10 days exploring all parts of Israel, early Saturday morning came, while many were still enjoying the nightlife scene, as Ron and I made our way to the airport at 4:00 a.m. for my 5:45 a.m. flight to Prague.All was fine, except for my flight.

My flight didn’t exist.

There I was: Ron already was heading back to his apartment and I stood in the Ben Gurion Airport searching for a 5:45 a.m. flight that, well, just wasn’t going to be there.

After confirming with airport workers about my flight not actually existing, I faced reality that I wasn’t leaving Tel Aviv just yet.

With Ron back on his way to pick me up, it was time to put the thinking cap on and figure out what went wrong and how to now get me to Prague at some point in the next three days, before I depart for Budapest on Tuesday. 

After my mother stepped up as she always does and helped her son, she called the booking agency that I booked this flight through and according to them, my flight was simply canceled.

Cancelled? This isn’t a college class that you just cancel and put a note on the door – and this cancellation didn’t even come with a notice.

I was challenged, and I’m happy about that. 

Everything happens for a reason… everything. I’ll believe that until the day I die and although I have no idea right now why this happened and why now I have to wait till Monday to fly to Prague, leaving me just 23 hours in that city, it’s all part of this game we play: life.

I’m a planner and this trip so far is teaching me that life isn’t here to follow my plan and I’m okay with that. This whole adventure is a learning process and a challenge that I have never been more excited to be a part of.

So, at the end of the day, although I may not be in the Czech Republic for as long as I would like, I am still in Tel Aviv, a magical place in countless ways, so who am I to complain.

Life is great.

Hope you are all doing well and thanks for reading,

Anthony