No Plans, Just Sicily: My Most Unplanned Trip Ever - Part 1

So, um, I’m on a flight right now as I write this. That wouldn’t be much news, except that I should be working at the restaurant today. Oh, and I had no idea this trip was happening just 36 hours ago.

Here’s what happened: yesterday morning, my phone rang. It was my amazing best friend calling me from the Budapest airport, telling me she was heading to Sicily because she found a flight ticket. I was thrilled for her and wished her the best time!

Then she said, "Please, please, please come with me!"

My immediate answer was, "I’d love to, but I have a job. I have to give at least two weeks’ notice, plumbers are coming to fix my bathroom, and, honestly, I should be saving money."

Rozi, my best friend, simply said, "The easiest thing to say is ‘no.’"

I paused. “Give me two hours.”

Next thing I know, I’m checking flight tickets, trying to figure out how on earth I can get from a random Spanish island to an Italian one (because direct flights? Not an option). I find a ticket and text my manager, who happens to be an old friend, asking if I can meet him at the restaurant to talk.

Ten minutes later, I’m there. I tell him the story. “I know you’re running a business, and I’m a paid employee with responsibilities, but... is there any way you can manage without me for the next 2.5 days? I kind of need to get to Italy, like, now.”

He listens. He’s wearing two hats: the friend and the boss. “Is anyone in danger? What’s going on? Can I help in any way? And you do have a job… and this is last-minute.”

He tells me we’ll talk after the shift, and we’ll find a solution. I thank him just for considering it.

Meanwhile, I look up flights. Fuerteventura to Bologna: €19. A 5-hour layover, then Bologna to Sicily: €16. For €35, I book both, not even checking return flights or knowing if I’ll get the time off work.

Rozi is sending voice notes, I’m coordinating with the plumber who’s arrived to fix my bathroom, and I’m trying to figure out what exactly I’m going to tell my boss later.

At work, I run around for six hours straight. Finally, around 11:30 PM, I sit down for dinner. My boss joins me. He looks at the schedule, then back at me. After a couple of minutes, he says yes. He still has to talk to the big boss, but it’s looking good. Five minutes later, he gives me a wink. My smile couldn’t get any bigger.

The big boss, my manager, and the chef all tell me to have an amazing time, though I’m sure they’re questioning my sanity. (Fair enough, I’m questioning it too.) I promise to update them on my return and thank them profusely.

I head home, wondering what the heck I’m doing with my life. I pack my bag and send a voice note to my manager, thanking him again and telling him how much this means to me.

The next morning, I scramble to find a return flight—through London and Gran Canaria, because of course, there’s no direct option that would get me back in time for my Tuesday shift. I make arrangements with friends to look after my apartment and pick me up from the airport, cancel a Sunday plan, and work on my little business (which, if you’re reading this, is now officially launched—maybe I’m even fully self-employed by now!).

I stop by the restaurant to confirm I’ll be back by 6:30 PM on Tuesday, and I promise to work on my birthday, which I had originally requested off. The big boss asks me if I need money, and I’m stunned. He just wants to make sure I’m okay until payday. I thank him but tell him I’m fine, I’ve got an emergency fund, and I don’t live paycheck to paycheck.

They all wish me an amazing trip, and here I am, on my way to the airport, wondering how this story will unfold.