I’m going to admit, the beginning of this was a little painful to write.
I’ve put family as a big emphasis towards my work and experiences. You’re only a product of the people that surround you.
On Dec. 23rd, 2022, I had a very unfortunate experience. With temperatures around northwest Minnesota plummeting to -40 ° F, travel conditions became hazardous. High winds resulted in blizzard conditions across the area.
I initially boarded a Delta flight that was supposed to land in Minneapolis. I would then take another flight to Cedar Rapids where I would be picked up by Dad.
There was a half-hour delay waiting for a new flight attendant since the one that was supposed to board had legally worked the max amount of hours for the week. It was announced at around 8:00 AM that there would be a delay in takeoff until 11:05 AM.
Groaning.
Since I had gotten up early, naturally breakfast and coffee were a must. The line was long, but I at least had sustenance. As I savored a breakfast burrito and plain Caribou coffee, a man sitting across from me broke news to me.
He had said “You know how the flight was delayed until 11:05? It’s now delayed until 2:35.”
More frustration ensued amongst the large group of people waiting for their flight. I had a conversation with airport security, where they had told me that the blizzard conditions were causing a mass of not just delays, but now flight cancellations across the area as well. She had also acknowledged that it was becoming increasingly unlikely that my Delta flight was going to take off.
I looked up on the screen for flight times, and all the flights below and around mine were canceled in red font.
I once again talked to the same airport security guard, and she had officially announced that my flight was canceled and that it would be announced over the intercom shortly. That feeling of seeing other people sobbing and having to tell your family and friends from back home that you will not be coming back was a stunning feeling.
I’ve never spent a Christmas without my family, and this was a completely unfamiliar experience for me. If there ever was a time where I did not want to be in Minnesota, this was it. Going back to my apartment had never felt worse as tears were running down my cheeks.
Now it Gets Better Though…
If there was one thing that ended up being positive from this whole ordeal, It’s that we made plans to, as we put it, “delay” our Christmas until Jan. 13th, where we could meet in downtown Minneapolis for the weekend. I hadn’t really visited Minneapolis since moving up here because I’m living about four hours north of the city. My only other experience being here was when I was 10 years old, where we came up as a family for my mom to receive her PhD in Community Social Work.
By the time I arrived in Minneapolis, there was no better feeling than seeing my Dad greet me at the door of the hotel known as The Chambers Hotel. There was just a feeling of excitement that there was so much catching up to do.
https://www.chambershoteldowntown.com
While he parked the car, I greeted Mom at the hotel room. She smiled and hugged me. We then proceeded to talk nonstop, sharing laughs and talking about our work and experiences over the past couple weeks.
The Beginning of the Weekend
To start the next day, the water pipes had been frozen to start the day, (they were fixed by about 11 AM). Breakfast and coffee were in the call to lighten the mood.
Hell’s Kitchen
Another highlight of this trip was getting to go to Hell’s Kitchen and getting to meet up with my cousin Tina and her husband Mike from North St. Paul. They made plans to go to the Minnesota Wild Hockey game shortly after meeting us for pregame.
https://www.hellskitcheninc.com
Hairspray
We also had the opportunity to see a broadway production of Hairspray at the historic Orpheum theater. I actually hadn’t seen the movie, but the play was phenomenal. We weren’t allowed to take pictures during the play, but here’s some before and a link to future shows if anyone traveling to Minnesota or lives in Minnesota is interested!
I found it particularly amusing how colorful and detailed the set was. It gave off the retro 1960s vibe to an extreme effect, and I definitely think a lot of the production styles used in this play can be applied to mediums in commercials and brands to create a more memorable, engaging and entertaining story.
These are some of the highlights of our trip. Obviously I couldn’t share every little detail for privacy purposes, but I think this was a resilient way to make the best of what started off as a depressing situation.
Here’s a final shot of the downtown!
