Paying it forward in coach class: New York to Rome
After many transcontinental and transatlantic flights, I've experienced my share of pillows that felt like burlap stuffed with toilet paper and blankets that were nothing more than oversized napkins. After freezing my buns off with my face firmly planted
I haven't posted in quite a while. Being a one-woman show, I'm the webmaster, the graphic designer, the tour planner and the Chief Wine Drinker. (And currently head of human resources as 2 new people come on board.) I've got a long list of things I'm supposed to write for myself, PR people and events I've attended. One of my little travel tricks has been on my list to share with you for months. I never really expected this little travel trick to have the effect it did but its worth a write-up now.
After many transcontinental and transatlantic flights, I've experienced my share of pillows that felt like burlap stuffed with toilet paper and blankets that were nothing more than oversized napkins. After freezing my buns off with my face firmly planted against the window flying on a red-eye from NYC to San Francisco, I assembled what I now call my "coach class survival kit" which consists of: 1 Eagle Creek Comfort Travel Blanket that packs into its own pocket. 1 Bucky Fuzzy Wuzzy U-shaped travel pillow. 1 Bucky Eye Shade I spent my fieragosto in American air-conditioning and had 9-hour return flight from NYC to Rome. I was given a final farewell to my beloved AC when Delta had the plane so cold during boarding it could have been Alaska. Knowing 9 hours of sitting was coming, I was standing in my row chit-chatting with people in front of me about a change of seating. I then hear a flight attendant say in a rather flat tone, "I'm sorry sir but I can't very well steal blankets from other people." I turn around and see a gentleman covered up in his airline issued napkin like cabbage in a thin Thai spring roll. "Would you like mine?" I say, "I always bring my own." After a brief exchange, I returned to the other conversation and we didn't really speak until the end of the flight when I was trying to walk off my Fred Flintstone swollen ankles. He told me his story and we chatted a bit about wine and Italy and travel. I gave him my card. Today I received this email:
Robbin,
My wife and I met you on a flight from JFK to ROMA almost two weeks ago. You gave me your 'standard assigned Air Italia blanket' to keep me warm during the flight... as I under anticipated the how cold the cabin and air conditioning would get. Please accept my sincere gratitude for your gracious and thoughtful "gift" as it made me so much more comfortable during our flight. As you may recall during our discussion, I am a patient at Sloan-Kettering in NY City continuing a Chemotherapy series and recently completed a serious "cancer operation" at Sloan-Kettering in July for pancreatic cancer. It sucks, but we're dealing.
My wife (Cristabel) and I were so fortunate we were able to get away and experience Roma and Paris and had a fantastic time.... now back to work and our lives in New York. Should we find some time (and $$) we would certainly love to tour the Italian countryside and taste the vineyards and varietals that abound.
I wish you much luck with your business of vineyard tours - - - it sounds like so much fun and something worth pursuing and we hope to be a customer one day soon.
Warmest regards,
Mark
Who knew bringing my own blanket would help someone else.