I flew into the wrong airport

Wow—this past month and a half has been packed with travel and work trips. It’s incredible how one day I can be across the country, thousands of miles from home and family, and the next, I’m back with them again.

The first week of March alone, I was in Oklahoma on Monday, Mexico by Wednesday, and Texas on Sunday—three states and a country in just seven days. Technology, transportation, and skilled people make all of this possible, and I’m grateful.

But with all the hustle of booking flights, rental cars, hotels, and juggling multiple itineraries… I made my first travel mistake.

I thought I had double-checked everything, especially the airport destinations. But with so many places on my calendar, something slipped through the cracks. I was scheduled to speak at a conference in Texas and was absolutely positive it was in San Antonio.

Why didn’t I triple-check the website? Only heaven knows.

So, I booked the flight—no red flags in sight. But when I landed in San Antonio and requested an Uber to my hotel, the fare came up as over $250. That couldn’t be right.

I opened the map... and there it was: I was nearly three hours away from where I was supposed to be. My heart sank. I had flown into the wrong airport. And it was going to cost me—literally 💸.

Thankfully, I’ve been traveling solo for over 15 years. I’ve learned how to navigate unexpected situations on the road. Within an hour, I had a rental car, rearranged my return flight, and was back on track.

I didn’t panic. I didn’t spiral. I just… figured it out. My only real emotion was frustration over how expensive the mistake was.

In the end, the conference went great, and I was thankful I made it without further hiccups. But still—I can’t believe I flew into the wrong airport. That’s a first. You can bet I’ll be triple-checking everything from now on.

Sometimes in life, we land in a pickle. The question is—how do we respond in those moments? Do we let panic take over, or do we stay focused and start solving?

Truthfully, there are plenty of times in life when I don’t handle things as calmly as I’d like. But this time was different. I stayed level-headed and took action. Why? I believe it’s because I’ve been in enough tricky travel situations to build confidence. That kind of experience helps you stay grounded when things go sideways.

Moral of the Story:
Practicing emotional management is hard—but it’s powerful.
We never really know how we’ll respond in stressful situations until we’re in them. But we can prepare by deciding in advance the kind of person we want to be.

Do you want to be calm under pressure?

Make those decisions now. There’s real strength in choosing how you’ll show up before life tests you—just like deciding never to use crude language, or choosing not to drink. The more you pre-decide, the more prepared you’ll be when things go off-script.

Oh—and when booking travel?
Always, always double-check your airport. It’s a mistake that can cost you more than just money.

Until next week,

Erica ❤️🌺