Destination: Seattle — No Plans, No Windows, No Problem

Sunday, February 2nd – Takeoff, Tacos, and Temporary Beds

My flight wasn’t until around noon, so I had a slow and easy morning. Wil, ever the hero, was kind enough to drive me to the airport once again. This time I had ordered assistance in advance—finally learning from past travel chaos—and it made getting to the gate so much easier.

After grabbing some food at the airport, the flight went smoothly, and before I knew it, I had landed at my next destination.

Waiting for me was a new friend, Lisa, whom I’d been chatting with through one of the many travel forums. She came to pick me up, and we headed straight into town, where we met up with another lovely person for Mexican food. There’s something about spicy food and new company that makes even a travel day feel special.

As for accommodation… I hadn’t actually made any plans for where to sleep that night (classic me). Thankfully, Lisa offered me a place to stay—though technically, it wasn’t really her place. Still, her roommate was kind enough to lend me a room.

The house was massive, but the rent? $5,000 a month. Even split between three people, that number felt outrageous. The room I stayed in didn’t even have a regular window—just a skylight. It’s funny how much you appreciate natural light when it’s missing. And of course, my brain immediately went to fire hazards and escape routes. 😅

Monday, February 3rd – Birthday Bliss & a Cybertruck Joyride

Today was special—it was my youngest’s birthday 🎉🎉
Even though I couldn’t celebrate with her in person, she was very much with me in my thoughts all day.

To mark the occasion (and also because it sounded amazing), we headed to a spa. Ragu, a mutual friend, has a membership and invited us along. Lisa drives an electric car, and when her battery started getting low, we accepted a ride from Ragu.

And guess what—he picked us up in a Tesla Cybertruck.

Yes. That Cybertruck.

I was completely fascinated. The car basically drives itself, as long as the cameras register that you’re watching the road. It reads stop signs, traffic lights, and other cars like it’s nothing. I’m not sure I fully trust it yet—but it was definitely one of the coolest rides I’ve ever been in. It even took me almost ten minutes to realize it was driving on its own.

After the spa, we went to a fancy Brazilian restaurant—the kind where servers walk around with skewers of sizzling meat, offering you more food than you could ever reasonably eat. We had such a great time that I found myself inviting both of them to Norway this summer. Why not? Good travel friendships deserve follow-up adventures.

Since Lisa had a busy day coming up, we ended the evening by taking a cab back to pick up her car. One of those small-but-meaningful days that leaves you full—literally and emotionally.

Tuesday, February 4th – Winnipeg Woes and Airport Adventures

Time to move on again—next stop: Winnipeg. It was about time to get my journey across Canada back on track.

Getting to the airport turned out to be a bit chaotic. I had trouble guiding my driver to the right location, which meant I was already running late. To make things worse, I realized I had completely forgotten to apply for the Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) required for Canada. Cue frantic phone tapping and passport scanning as I tried to sort it out at the very last minute.

At the same time, I also forgot to register the flight with my insurance. And in the middle of all that? My flight was delayed. Originally scheduled to leave at 3 PM, it didn’t take off until nearly 5 PM. I missed my connection in Calgary and was rebooked onto a later flight—which, of course, was also delayed.

By the time I finally landed in Winnipeg, it was 3:30 in the morning. I was supposed to arrive at 10:30 PM. A five-hour delay, on top of everything else. I practically collapsed when I reached my hotel.

But that’s travel, isn’t it? Sometimes it gives you a perfectly smooth spa day, and other times it throws you into a chaotic obstacle course of paperwork, delays, and exhaustion. And the weird thing is… I still love it.

Want more travel stories and misadventures? Stick around—next stop: new friends, new places, and probably another broken travel app. 😉