When Life Hands You Lemons, Go to Another Country

The trip was ambitious even before anything went wrong: Barcelona, several days in Warsaw, a return to Barcelona, and a Carnival Glory sailing in a 1A cabin. Kevin and I left March 16 and expected to travel through April 12. The detour at the end brought us home April 10 instead. Between points and cash, I estimate the trip cost about $5,000 per person for flights, hotels, ground transportation, lodging, and experiences.

Our hotels included the InterContinental Warsaw, ME Barcelona, and Hotel Indigo Barcelona–Plaza Catalunya. We began with the kind of adjustment that barely registers once a larger story unfolds: airport and hotel timing made us late for the dinner attached to our flamenco show. No biggie; we ate empanadas from a bakery across the street, and watched a very educational and entertaining show.

Poland brought beautiful sunsets, amazing food, and a language that challenged me until I pulled out the translation app to fill the gap. Auschwitz-Birkenau was the emotional center of the land portion. It was not enjoyable, and that is not the measure of its importance. The preserved belongings and the remains of the camp made the scale of cruelty more measurable than any school book could. The visit demanded attention, respect, and factual care rather than casual tourism language.

Back in Barcelona, Kevin proposed at Park Güell after changing his original plan. I said yes—and then, after he explained that he had intended to propose at the ship’s steakhouse, I asked him to do it again the way he had planned. Somehow, even knowing my answer, he was still nervous. My first thought after proposal number one was that he had not yet experienced a Texas summer. After proposal number two, I decided he had been given a chance to reconsider and had not taken it: no take-backs from here.

The cruise sailed March 25 to April 9, with ports of call that included Málaga, Tenerife, Las Palmas, Tangier, Civitavecchia, and Livorno. Sea days settled into coffee, spa, relaxation, and repeat. We celebrated my birthday in the steakhouse where the servers and hosts had come to know us well.

Fog delayed the ship’s return to Barcelona. We disembarked around 10:30 a.m., waited for a taxi, and missed the flight that was supposed to carry us toward a surprise birthday party for Kevin’s uncle in Portland, Oregon. Reworking the itinerary with United was the hardest part. The sentence that rescued our mood was the funniest: when life hands you lemons (a missed flight), go to another country.

We spent the rest of the day in Barcelona, then flew to Brussels for the night. Kevin’s condition and routine meant we could not explore as we were hoping to, but we found his Starbucks destination mug and added Belgium to the list of places we want to revisit. Our new route took us from Barcelona to Belgium, then to Dulles where another friend met us with Starbucks outside of customs. We visit for a short while and I was happy she was able to meet Kevin before we had to go back through security and board the aircraft for our final flight of the trip back to San Antonio.

Travel insurance was one of the smartest purchases I made even though the claim is still ongoing. The trip reinforced a truth I keep relearning: planning creates possibility, but flexibility carries you through the version that actually happens.

Trip details from Jennifer’s records

• Auschwitz-Birkenau day trip from Warsaw: $428.50
• Flamenco show with dinner option: $200.16
• Sagrada Família with towers: €72
• Casa Batlló Platinum: €106
• Park Güell: €36
• Pisa monument package including Leaning Tower climb: €66
• Warsaw dining standouts included Pianka, Restauracja Belvedere, Salto Alto, and especially Bazyliszek Restaurant