WHEN DISASTER STRIKES

THE TRUE TEST OF A TRAVELER IS STAYING COOL WHEN THINGS GO WRONG, WRITES IAN JARRETT

There have been times in my travels when the best-laid plans have somehow gone awry.

While I’ve never actually landed in Perth, Scotland, instead of Perth, Western Australia, I did once spend 45 minutes queuing to check in at Atlanta airport – only to be told that the tickets for my wife and I were for the following day.

Then there was the time in Siem Reap when all flights were cancelled due to riots in Phnom Penh. Looking up at a departures board proclaiming “No planes, no flights” suggested a lengthy wait to return home.

And there was the occasion in Hong Kong, again at check-in, when I discovered that my passport was missing. It was a weekend, of course, and the embassy officials I needed were probably out on their super yachts, safely away from this distressed passenger.

At such times, my first instinct is to panic. My second is to convince myself that the first instinct is a complete waste of time. Eventually, I tell myself, “Go with the flow, everything will work out okay.”

Usually, it does, too. Eventually, the airline in Atlanta found space for me on that day’s flight. And out of the blue, an aircraft landed in Siem Reap and picked up waiting passengers, even though their tickets were for another carrier. Meanwhile in Hong Kong, I found my passport – which had slipped into the lining of my travel bag – in time to catch my flight.

So, if the unexpected happens, take a deep breath and fight off the natural impulse to panic. Believe me, you’ll feel better for it.