The Journey Begins

Thursday, 4th September 2003.
So, what happened to you today?

My day started at 7.30 with a breakfast meeting with the Leeds chamber of commerce. A good event and a little something came from it in the form of some sponsorship for our charity goal setting day in December. Then its a drive of 150 miles to Worcester to see a client to discuss the final details of an extensive training programme. The meeting had been organised about a week earlier. I would "call in" on my way to Heathrow Airport; I was travelling to Bombay to deliver three workshops.

I arrived in Worcester a little early so I checked a few things and made a couple of calls. Caroline would be coming to the weekend in November and perhaps bringing some clients with her. A result there then. We like Caroline, she is a lovely girl and very helpful to the business. My client however wasnt there. I waited an hour and then set off to the airport only to get a call 20 miles down the road, Im here can you come back. So back I went. Alec is an important client, and a good friend. Worthy of a little detour. Business done and a with a kind offer to present a live testimonial at the November weekend from Alec I set off to the airport.

Parked OK and caught a bus to terminal three well in time to checking for my flight. I was in the queue for about an hour only to be told that my flight was now cancelled until 06.30 in the morning and arrive in Bombay at 0845 on Saturday, but to check in anyway as we would be put up in an hotel and picked up at 4am. Oh no said I, that wont do I MUST be in Bombay for Friday evening, I just must. So I discussed with the girls at check in the fact that I had a challenge in that I needed to be in India on Friday night. We turned the challenge into a question: How could I get to India for Friday night? After a lot of checking by my friend on the desk she found a flight with Emirates that would have me in Bombay just 15 minutes after I should have been there on Friday.

LESSON: anything is possible if you are committed enough and you are prepared to ask the question.

So its off to the Emirates ticket desk to book a flight, expecting, I might add, to pay through the nose for my one-way seat. At the desk I found Debora Lyons. Debora found me a seat with Emirates via Dubai to Bombay so bonus air miles in the bag as well. This challenge was turning out to be most beneficial after all. And, not only did Debora find me a seat but fortunately it would only cost me £329. Not only that but Debora asked me which seat I would prefer and called ahead to save it for me. Exit isle seat. What service and what a fantastic end to a perceived challenge. WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Once every one I had asked for help had done everything they could to give me the assistance I wanted it was only left to me to go to check in, check in my bags and await my later but nevertheless welcome flight.

There I met Gary form American Airlines. He found my saved seat and asked to see my passport . . . and my visa. AAAARRRRGGGHHHHHHH!!!

"VISA? No one told me I needed a visa!" I said to myself. Only to get the reply [from myself I might add] "Did you ask anyone if you needed a visa?""Dont be a smart arse, me" I said to myself.

Everyone had done everything that they could to help me only to find that I had not checked the major detail of visas.

Back to Debora to see what to do. No problem, we will just refund your ticket. Or you could change your ticket to tomorrow afternoons flight and go to India House tomorrow morning, get a visa and come back for your flight. Thank the Lord for Debora!

Up to this point I am very proud of my positive attitude and my willingness to take full responsibility for my outcomes.

I put my luggage in the left luggage place and caught a cab into London where I would get a hotel and go to India House before it opened. The cab cost me £55!

This was my first encounter with someone who was taking advantage of my situation. He didnt know that I have a good knowledge of London and that I knew that he had taken a long way round to get to Tower Bridge where I had arranged to stay. Never mind he has "paid it forward" and it will come back to him ten fold.

Having told Sara of my new dilemma I was well impressed when she was very positive and supportive of my plight. In fact she was so supportive that when I called her a little later to give her an update she had been on the web and got all of the details of India House and visa details. What a star!

So here we are at 11.30 pm on 4th September waiting to get a visa so that I can get to India. And the funny thing is that I will get there 15 minutes earlier than I would have done had I not decided to change my flights and discovered that I had no visa.

How well the world works for those who work for it. Im looking forward to completing this story.

And I am going to be fantastic in India!