A Lesson on Patience: My Trip to Jackson, Wyoming -January 2021

Thursday, January 28th, 2021:

3am - I wake up. I shower. I leave my apartment. And, I drive to the Nashville International airport.

330am - I arrive at the airport.

345am - I stand in line at United Airlines to check my luggage. Lights out behind the counter and no employees to be found, I recognize the counter is not yet open.

420am - I start to wonder why the United Airlines ticket counter isn’t open after standing in line for over a half hour. My flight is scheduled to leave in an hour and ten minutes.

422am - I check my phone. I learn that my flight isn’t a United Airlines flight. It’s an American Airlines flight.

440am - I get to my gate. I settle in and wait for the flight to board. I watch as a lady across the room loses her hand sanitizer from her book bag. I don’t say anything. It’s too early.

522am - I board the flight and it leaves for Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas.

730am - My flight lands in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas.

740am - I get off the plane, buy a coffee and make an attempt to use the restroom near my gate. All of the stalls are occupied. I decide its not a big deal and that I can hold it until I land in Jackson. To myself, I think, “It’s not ideal but I can wait three hours until my flight lands.” My flight is supposed to land in Jackson, Wyoming at 1030am.

830am - My layover flight from Dallas to Jackson departs.

9am - I crack open a new book. It’s The 48 Laws of Power written by Robert Greene. I read about 7 pages before I slowly tilt my head back and the gentle lull of the airplane engine puts me to sleep.

1015am - The majority of the flight is behind us and the pilot begins our descent towards the Jackson, WY airport. I’m anxious to land and get the trip started. I’ll be meeting up with a group of guys that I haven’t seen much over the past year as a result of me moving to Nashville and the pandemic.

1019am - The pilot lays into the plane’s throttle and propels us back into the sky like a clown shot out of a cannon.

1020am - I look to my right. I see a guy in his early 20’s sitting in the window seat with his head pointed out the window. An empty middle seat separates us from one another.

“Did this idiot just ditch the landing?” he says, referring to the pilot.

“That’s what it felt like to me.” I shrug and reply.

The same guy gets visibly angry and starts to rant about what a “pussy” the pilot flying our plane is. I don’t share the sentiment. I keep to myself. My stance is that I’d rather the pilot err on the side of caution than risk our lives trying to land in conditions he feels are unsafe. I approve of his judgement over the guy sitting next to me. As far as I can tell, he’s never piloted a plane before.

1035am - The pilot gets on the intercom and explains:

“Jackson Airport is currently experiencing a period of low visibility. The plane that landed just 10 minutes before us had difficulty keeping their plane on the runway. We are going to make another pass at it and if it’s unsafe, we’re going to divert to Billings, Montana.''

The guy sitting next to me grows angrier with each word that leaves the pilot’s mouth.

1115am - We land in Billings, Montana after another aborted attempt at landing in Jackson. The pilot gets back on the intercom and notifies all of the passengers aboard the flight that we will be parking in Billings until we get permission from Air Traffic Control to make another attempt to land in Jackson.

*At this point, I’ve got faith that the snow storm in Jackson is going to clear up and that we’ll get into town before early evening. The guy sitting next to me, with whom I’ve now made friends with, is less optimistic. His name is Shaun and is flying into Jackson to meet his mom, who was coming in to meet him from California, his aunt, who was already in Jackson, and a few other family members for a long weekend ski trip. Shaun is visibly distraught by the entire situation as evidenced by his repeated slaps to the back of the seat in front of him and his reckless abuse of what he later tells me is his prescription anxiety medication. Over the next four hours, as we sit idle on the Billings, Montana runway, Shaun alternates between calling his mom and aunt every three minutes to get updates and advice on how he should proceed with his day. His mom is grounded in Salt Lake City and his aunt is providing real-time updates from the base of the mountain in Jackson. I can’t stand to listen to one more erratic conversation with his mom and his aunt so I decide to interject:

12pm - “If we aren’t able to fly into Jackson today, you and I can just rent a car wherever we land and drive in. It’s only a 5 hour drive. It’s not preferable but it’s better than getting stuck overnight.” I suggest to Shaun.

“Absolutely! Great idea. As long as I get into Jackson sometime tonight, I don’t care how I get there.” he replies. Unfortunately, my contingency plan doesn’t put an end to the overwhelming volume of calls to his mom and aunt.

*In my head, this sounds like a solid plan. Then, it hits me. My 28th birthday just occurred the day before and I forgot to get my ID renewed at the DMV. Actually, I didn’t forget. I just didn’t do it. So, I’m stuck on the runway with an expired license trying to devise a plan to rent a car to drive to Jackson with a pickled, overly medicated 22 year old man-child.

1pm - Shaun talks to his aunt. She tells him the snow isn’t slowing down.

2pm - We helplessly sit on the runway. I still haven’t used the restroom and it’s starting to become an issue. I also haven’t eaten anything since yesterday at around 8pm. This is also becoming an issue.

230pm - My hunger is growing and so is my urge to poop. Everyone within a 5 row radius on the plane starts to annoy me. Presumably because i haven’t eaten anything since yesterday at 8pm and still have to take a shit. I start to consider taking my shit in the lavatory of the plane just to spite the annoying passengers. I decide not to. I’m not that big of a piece of shit. The temperature in the plane’s cabin rises and it starts to feel thick like the ground transportation area outside of the Fort Lauderdale airport on a hot, muggy summer day. The mood among the passengers shifts from slightly uncomfortable to edgy with each minute gone by. The flight attendants start to notice the restlessness so they begin walking around with their emergency stash of miniature pretzel bags. “Thanks, guys. These would’ve been nice to have three and a half hours ago!” I think to myself. I pour the bag of hard, dry pretzels in my mouth as soon as I get them.

3pm - The pilot gets on the intercom and tells us he’s going to make one last attempt to land in Jackson but if it’s unsafe we will divert to Salt Lake City.

301pm - We all breathe a sigh of relief.

330pm - Our plane’s wheels leave the ground in route to Jackson.

340pm - Approximately 10 minutes into our 2nd flight, the pilot gets on the intercom and notifies us that Air Traffic Control has informed him that it’s unsafe for us to attempt a landing in Jackson and that we need to divert to Salt Lake City, immediately. This annoys me because I don’t think they ever had any intention of trying to land in Jackson. I now want to take my shit directly in between the two pilots flying the plane in the cockpit.

4pm - As soon as we land in Salt Lake City, Shaun gets on the phone to talk to his mom. She tells him that, at this moment, her flight is departing from Salt Lake City to Jackson. This gives us hope in a time when we desperately need it.

415pm - The pilot gets on the intercom:

“Welcome to Salt Lake City. We’ve arranged hotel accommodations for all of you! Please go directly to the American Airlines ticket counter to claim your voucher. Enjoy your night in Salt Lake City. We will try this again in the morning!” he says.

“FUCK!!!” yells Shaun.

“I know, man. Damn” I said. Now, I’m kinda pissed at the pilot.

“Fuck it. We’re renting a car and driving. It’s only 5 hours away. We can be there before 10pm if we hurry. Like I said, I just want to be there by tonight.” Shaun said.

*Although I agree, I know we have more obstacles ahead. Mainly my expired license and his Ativan induced stupor. I also completely forget to consider Shaun is only 22 years old and I remember being told that you need to be at least 25 years old in order to rent a vehicle. I’m not optimistic about our odds to get a car and make it to Jackson. Now, it’s me, without a valid driver’s license, and Shaun, with a prescription drug problem AND anger issues. Not great.

425pm - I decide to befriend the guy exiting the plane in front of me. He looked normal enough. He is essentially wearing the same outfit I’m wearing: white Nike Flyknit runners, black Nike jogger pants, black crewneck sweatshirt, black hat with white lettering turned to the back.

“Hey man. What’s your plan to get to Jackson?” I say to him.

“I haven’t quite figured it out yet. What’s your plan?” he asks me.

“This kid (Shaun) and I are planning to rent a car and drive. Wanna roll with us?” I asked.

“Yeah. I’m down. I just want to get there tonight. I spent $600 on this flight and it’s gonna be a wasted trip if I don’t get there asap.” he said.

“Agreed. Let's get off the plane and come up with a plan ``I replied.

*In the meantime, I talk to one of my buddies in the group that I’m planning to meet in Jackson and he tells me that his flight is rolling down the runway in Salt Lake City getting ready to take off for Jackson. This confuses me as to why we aren’t making another attempt. I don’t have time to be pissed or think about it. I am preoccupied with getting a car for our road trip from Salt Lake City to Jackson.

447pm - We are told that all rental cars to Jackson are unavailable. Apparently, none of the rental companies are interested in renting cars to travelers going to Jackson due to the snow storm. We consider our other options. There are few. I finally ask the guy we met on the way off of the plane what his name is.

“Davis. What’s yours?” he says.

“Mackenzie. Nice to meet you, man.” I say.

We stand at baggage claim trying to figure out our options. In a drug induced saunter, Shaun wanders off and finds another group of guys headed to Jackson. We let him go although slightly worried about his general safety. He texts us 5 minutes later: “I bummed a ride! Good luck, guys!” Welp, see ya Shaun!

5pm - Instead of going to pick up my voucher from the American Airlines counter, i decide to look into other flight options. As far as I can tell, the only other flight departing from Salt Lake City is a United Airlines flight that leaves at 8pm. I talk to the woman at the counter and give her my best attempt at a sob story. I tell her that I already paid for a $700 group excursion in Jackson and the company won’t reimburse or refund me. This is partially true and, at the time, I had no evidence to suggest that it wasn’t totally true. I did have a private tour booked but I hadn’t yet inquired about a refund. The lady tells me that the United flight is totally booked and that there is nothing she can do for me. I can tell she felt bad for me though. She leans over the counter and whispers “give me your cell phone number.” Before giving her my number, I think to myself: “These Morman girls are aggressive.” She tells me that if anyone decides to cancel their flight, she will call me immediately and give me the option to purchase the tickets. I tell her that I’m not going to do it unless she has 2 tickets available. She understands and lets me know that she is going to do her best.

520pm - I go to the American Airlines counter and collect my hotel and flight voucher. They put us in a Hilton near the airport and notify me that our rescheduled flight will be taking off the following morning at 8am. Davis and I find the shuttle to the hotel and start to ask our friends with connections in the area for dinner recommendations in Salt Lake City. After deciding where we want to go for dinner, we decide that we’ll meet in the lobby and head out.

540pm - We arrive at the hotel. As we arrive, I receive a phone call. It’s the United Airlines lady.

“I got two! Get here as fast as you can” she says. I look at Davis and we both smile. Our luck is changing.

“Get back in the car brother! We’re going to Jackson.” I say to Davis.

We both throw our bags back into the car and convince the driver to take us back to the airport. Davis tells the driver that he forgot his bag back at the airport and that he needs to take us back. After some persuading, reluctantly, the driver decides to drive us back.

6pm - After a sprint back to the ticket counter, we approach the lady that I made friends with.

“We’re back!” I say emphatically. Too excited to inquire about the price, I hand her my credit card.

“Don’t you wanna know how much it costs?” Davis asks me.

In the back of my head, I recall someone saying the flight cost $150, one way. To me, thats reasonable, given the circumstance.

“The flight costs $498.” the lady says.

My heart stops and my jaw drops. Deflated, I turn to Davis and ask him what he thinks.. Neither of us are willing to part ways with $498 to get to Jackson when we already have tickets for a flight that is going to take us the following morning. We talk it over for a few minutes and decide that paying $498 isn’t worth it. We make the decision to go and get a good dinner in downtown Salt Lake City and try our luck again in the morning.

615pm - I thank the lady for all of her help but tell her that neither of us are interested in the $498 flight. She explains that there is nothing she can do with the price. We thank her for her time and walk away.

730pm - Davis and I meet in the lobby and decide where we want to eat.

1030pm - We get back from dinner and determine the time we want to meet the next morning.

Friday, January 29th, 2021:

530am - We’re back at it. Davis and I meet in the lobby and head to the Salt Lake City airport.

645am - We arrive at our gate. We eat breakfast. We feel optimistic about the day ahead and reassure ourselves that we made the right decision to stay overnight and try again today.

8am - After discussing the plan to get from the airport to the base of the mountain so as not to waste any time when we arrive, we board the plane.

815am - “Alright ladies and gentleman. Let’s try this again. The forecast is more clear than it was yesterday but I can’t guarantee anything.” the same pilot from the day before gets on the intercom and says.

9am - After a 45 minute delay. we finally take off.

1020am - We successfully land in Jackson in what seems like 6 inches of snow on the runway. In the conditions we landed in, I’m convinced the pilot had a booty call he needed to get to in Jackson. Either way, I’m not complaining. We made it and it's time to have some fun.

1040am - I change into my ski gear in the bathroom at the airport. I walk out of the bathroom and see Davis with a distraught look on his face.

“They lost my shit.” he says.

“You’re kidding me!” I reply, “They literally had one job.”

“I know, man. It looks like I’m renting gear with you” he says. All of Davis’s gear including his snowboard, boots, coat, pants, gloves and accessories are in his snowboard bag that the airline lost.

“Well. Nothing we can do about it now. Looks like you’re coming to the rental shop with me.” I reply.

11am - Davis and I waive down a cab. The cab we waive down is unavailable to take us to the mountain but he politely calls another driver in the area to take us.

1115am - A generic looking white man pulls up in a new black suburban. He asks us if we’re the ones that need the ride to the mountain. We tell him yes and we get in the car, and thank him.

1116am - “Ya…so, this is my last day working for this company. I just can’t stand it. I can’t understand a single word my boss says to me.” the cab driver says, totally unprovoked, as we pull away from the curb at the airport.

“Nice, man. I hope you’re on to bigger and better things!” I say.

“Nope. Haven’t figured out what I’ll do next yet. I just can’t do this anymore.” he replies.

“Well, I’m sure you’ll get it figured out.” I say.

“I’m not worried. I’ve been homeless before. I was just homeless before I got this job. I’ll be ok.” he says.

“Holy shit. It must be difficult to be homeless in Wyoming. This cold weather is no joke.” I say.

“It’s not that bad. The Valero gas station off the interstate has nice bathrooms where no one usually bothers us” he says. I decide not to move forward with the conversation.

1125am - Again, out of nowhere,“Yeah. These suburbans are great vehicles.” the cab driver says.

“They are pretty nice. Reliable, too.” I reply.

“Yeah. My girlfriend always wanted one.” he says.

“Oh yeah? She ever get one?” I reply.

“I don’t know. She cheated on me. With my best friend. A real piece of work that one was. I came home from work one day and there they were. Just hooking up on the couch.” he tells us as he chuckles.

“Damn, dude. I’m sorry to hear that. Doesn’t sound like a good best friend” I say.

“Ehh… we’re still best friends. Been best friends for over 30 years. He just couldn’t help himself. Plus, she couldn’t keep her pants on.” He says.

I scratch my head with confusion. I’m beginning to think this guy has brain damage but i don’t have any concrete evidence of it.

“There’s her house right there!” the cab driver yells as we drive past his ex-girlfriend's house in the middle of a random snow covered prairie, “I didn’t deserve her. I used to be an alcoholic.”

“Uhmm, you aren’t still drinking are you?” I ask.

“Nope! Been clean since 2008. Haven't had any alcohol or cigarettes since then.” he says.

“That’s great to hear, man! That’s not an easy thing to do. How’d you do it?” I ask.

“Gunshot.” he replies, as he turns around and looks me square in the eyes as his jaw sits slightly slacked open resembling a mild grin.

“Um...what’s gunshot?” I ask. I genuinely think he’s going to introduce me to a new addiction treatment that is used in the midwest that I’m not familiar with.

“I took a gun and shot myself in the head. Ya...tried to blow my brains out. Stuck the gun underneath my chin and pulled the trigger. I don’t remember any of it. I woke up in the hospital two days later to my ex-girlfriend standing over me. She told me that I tried to kill myself with a gun and that I’m lucky to be alive.” he says. “I haven’t had a drink or touched a cigarette ever since.”

1145am - I look at Davis and signal with my eyes: GET ME THE FUCK OUT OF THIS VEHICLE RIGHT NOW!

1150am - After the longest 5 minutes in the back seat of a vehicle I have ever experienced, we arrive at our destination.

1152am - We try to pay the driver the $70 that we owe him via credit card. Of course, his card reader does not work. I try several times. Davis also tries a few times. The cab driver tries a few times. None of us are able to get it to work. I tell the cab driver I don’t have cash. He is upset that he’s not going to get paid for his time. Davis reaches into his book bag and fumbles through his stuff. Luckily, he comes up with exactly $70 in cash to pay the man. Was it a scheme to get $70 from us in cash so he didn’t have to give it to his boss? Probably. Was it a situation I was willing to take a chance on? Absolutely not.

12pm - I throw my belongings in Davis’s brother's car and get on the shuttle bus headed to the mountain.

1215pm - I am on the mountain. I am happy. Life is good. Life is what you make of it.