Transitions are not fun. Even when you know where are you heading, it is not fun to get stuck. It is like getting stuck on your gate while waiting your connecting flight. I remember being stuck at the Vienna's transition airport for 4 full days. I did not even have a carry on luggage with me. All was on my main luggage, in the plain's belly.

Our flight was not successful due to dense fog. The pilot decided to return back to Vienna after hovering over the destination landing place for an hour. What seemed to be  one night, turned to 4. You can imagine the frustration. No luggage, no food choices, no clothes to change, no fresh air. To be honest at those days I felt like even the prisoners were luckier than I. They could go out on fresh air daily at least. And us, the prisoners of the airport could not go anywhere.

Going out to Vienna? Right? Nope. It was a time when you needed a visa. No escape. No book to read. No smartphone or laptop to waste your time reading. How do you spend your time? Hours seemed so long. Benches were our beds. I was lucky enough one night, to be accommodated at the airport hotel. Then it was booked ahead of time.

The company reps were well trained. I am sure one reason why they were hired was their ability to manage emotions. They did not show the slightest sign of empathy. They were unbreakable. The angry passengers who were stuck in the airport would not even make their eyelashes move. How could they manage that? I don't know. But if they would not be able to manage that, they would not be still hired. 

After 4 days or falsely hopes to land to the destination, we made the wisest decision to divert to a neighboring country. What a relief! It was risky but worthy. The airport remained closed for a week due to severe weather. Thus diverting was a smart decision. 

What I have learned from that experience was never put everything on your check in luggage. Always keep with me a few necessary items, a couple clothes to change, a book, first aid kit (check baggage allowance items), sanitary pads (don't laugh, it can save your life :) , a notebook, a pan, a couple snacks that are allowed on a carry on. Having a carry on is not traveling as light as when you are free as a bird after the check in, but it is wiser in cases of unexpected interruptions like weather or a delayed flight. 

Life transitions can be similar. Something unexpected happens and you find yourself in frustrated circumstances. What can you do? Here are a couple tips, in a long list of to do's :

• First, plan an emergency fund. Experts advise to save 3-4 salaries for an emergency fund. This will give you some peace of mind if transitioning out of a job to another one takes longer than you hoped.   How do you save 3-4 salaries if you don't have a saving habit? Well, I would advise you to get familiar with e-banking, open a savings account and schedule an automatic amount transfer every month, one day after your payroll date. If you wait till you go to the bank or till the end of the month to save what is left, most likely you will end up with nothing. I have found out that taking aside savings from the very first day of my payroll, makes saving happen and regular. 

• If you are moving location, get information beforehand on what is needed, especially when traveling overseas, so you don't need to bring your favorite spices or food, if you can find those locally. If  you have a local contact, ask them to help you with things you need to bring, and especially if you have utensils or other items that you love to bring, but you can find them locally, ask specifically for those

• Garage sale: that is quite painful as not everyone is a salesperson by nature, but also this fun activity requires a lot of effort and planning. Go through your stuff, after you have inquired what you need to take with you, and then sort out in three groups: to be sold, to give away, to throw away.  While doing this, have in mind your departure time, you can sell your items in two or three rounds. It is better if you have an open house for certain hours on a certain date when people can come to pick up what they have ordered. Resist the temptation to do the delivery, no matter how tempting it is to sell the items. And also, apply who comes first principle. This will save you time and space. If you store items till those who ordered them will come to pick them up, maybe you will end up having those items. So set up two or three rounds of garage sale days and whoever comes first, is served first. Leave those things that you need to use, for the last round of your garage sale. In this way,  you will not create more stress to yourself. 

There is much more to share, but for your time's sake I will stop here for now. From the above, what was helpful to you? Or what have you found helpful in your transition journey?