I missed my flight yesterday because I was stuck in a marathon. I wasn’t running, but the course snaked through Phoenix area, subsequently fencing in a lot of streets. I used over a half a tank of gas just trying to find a way out. Finally I did, but by then it was too late.

It’s such a terrible feeling to miss an event. I truly love what I do, and I love the people I work with. I can’t believe I even got on the next flight. The ticket agent told me there was absolutely no room on the plane, and no chance of me getting on. She was so sure the flight was full, she closed the door to the jetway. Then out of nowhere, there was an empty seat, and I was on my way to Burbank.

We were supposed to land in Burbank, but our plane was too heavy for the short runway covered with water. So we kept on flying to Los Angeles and finally landed.; I swear the runway in LA was a shallow lake. I’ve not seen that much rain in a long time.

I guess I wasn’t meant to make it to the event yesterday, because we got stuck in traffic on our way out of the airport. By the time I flopped down on my bed in the hotel, I’m just glad I had finally made it there.

::::

This morning (Monday) I spoke at Oak Christian High School in Westlake Village, California. I was in intern at YOU! Magazine in ’97 in Westlake Village, so this trip was kind of a homecoming for me. Even though it’s been seven years, the place looked familiar.

I spoke to the whole high school this morning, then spent to class periods with AP English students. It was fun being in a big room with the whole school, but to go one-on-one in the classroom was awesome. I could be a teacher, I think.

This school was truly a special place. The students should feel blessed to be in such a positive, uplifting place. It seemed like they were all destined to go far. I would have loved to have had a school like that.