You know the expression ‘everything happens for a reason’? of course you do – im sure you have heard it countless times, especially when something bad happens  to you. In fact, it is so commonly used that it has this unfortunate ‘sickly Hallmark’ cliché feel to it.

I say ‘unfortunate’ because it is not only a phrase that I use very often (and I don’t consider myself a hallmark cliché!), but it is an expression that I tend to live my life by. I truly believe that everything in life does happen for a reason -both good and bad- and that the world sends you subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) messages and hints that you can either take, or ignore. Either way, the world has plans for you and sometimes they do not fit into the plans that you had made for yourself.

A perfect example of this, and a strong reminder to me, were a series of events that all culminated last week.

‘C’ was supposed to be in DC this week for a workshop. As it was the Mexican national day on Friday, we had planned to fly up to the States the weekend before, spend some time with ‘C’s brothers in Philadelphia, I would tag along to DC and mosey around for the week, and then spend the weekend in New York. Sounds like the perfect plan!

We were both really excited about this trip, as both his brothers have just had babies in the beginning of September, ‘C’ used to live in Washington and it would have been great to catch up with his friends, and I had never been to New York before (yes I know, I am probably the only person in the world that has not been to New York!) so you can understand our excitement?

However, the weeks leading up to this trip things started to go awry. In the most simplest terms here you can see the events unfolding:

1.  A few weeks ago ‘C’s attendance of the workshop was canceled due to flight expenditure reasons. :(

2. Then ‘C’ was able to find other funds, and was able to make the workshop :)

3. ‘C’ re-confirmed his place with the workshop, but apparently had never been signed up in the first place, so was now placed on a waiting list. :(

4. By Tuesday 13 September (we were meant to leave on Thursday 15) C got a place in the workshop. :)

5. By Tuesday evening, due to some internal work reasons C was forced to cancel his attendance of the workshop again. :(

6. We then decide that we will just go to the US for a holiday instead. :)

7. In the meantime my passport is with the Mexican Government, and it had been promised to return to me by Tuesday 13th July. :(

8. By Tuesday it had not arrived, so I was making frantic phone calls to see what could be done. :(

9. Tuesday evening, I develop a slight sore throat and snuffels :(

10 Wednesday morning, wake up feeling pretty cold riddled and rubbish :(

11. Wednesday noon, my passport finally arrives. Jump straight into a cab, pick up my passport, and head straight to immigration as I need to apply for an exist visa (I’m currently in the process of getting a work permit, and no longer have one of those entry/exit stamps you need when you enter and exit a country) :)

12. Rock up to immigration with all my documents complete – get to the counter and I am received with “I am sorry, the visa section is only open until 1pm” it is currently 2pm… This is when I finally feel like bursting into tears and having a mager strop :(

Although disappointed, we finally waved our little white flag and surrendered to the fact that we were not going to The States the following day. We had done everything in our power to make this trip happen – but as you can see – so much was working against us. It felt like every corner we turned there was an obstacle – someone up there really didn’t want us to go!

13. Thursday morning: I wake up feeling like absolute death. My entire body hurts, head pounding, nose stuffed and a burning pain in my throat every time I swallow, and the only thought that was running through my head was “Thank God, I am not sitting on a plane right now”

I was pretty much bed ridden the entire weekend – Thursday I was so ill, it took me 2 hours and all my will power to move from my bed to the sofa. It really was a blessing in disguise that we did not make it on our holiday – it would not have been miserable for everyone if we had made it, especially for ‘C’s brothers who both have new-born babies, and the last thing that they would want is to have a very flu ridden, sniveling and snorting houseguest.

So, despite its unfortunate cliché characteristics – everything does happen for a reason, it’s just a question of reading the signs around you!!