LESSON RE-LEARNED - STAY DETERMINED!

We all have CHOICES for how to handle FRUSTRATING, DISCOURAGING, even FRIGHTENING situations.

It happened to me recently. I did NOT choose to "throw my hands in the air" and take the FATALISTIC approach. Instead, I chose to remain POSITIVE and also was determined to act VERY DILIGENTLY, taking one step at a time to solve the problem that I HAD CREATED. Here's what happened.......

I made a reservation on BOOKING.COM - a website that I love. They have the BEST PHOTOS of the hotels/apartments etc., and it's easy to make your reservation on their site. 

Most hotels in the "OLD CITY" section were already booked (this is a last-minute trip), so I ended up booking an APARTMENT instead of my preference - a room in a BOUTIQUE HOTEL. I prefer a B&B or a hotel, where you can have breakfast there and a glass of wine in their bar in the evening. Staying in an apartment requires more work and takes up your time food and wine shopping, which I really didn't want to to. 

In the next few hours, I found availability in what I really wanted in the first place - a beautiful, BOUTIQUE HOTEL. I figured that the apartment, even though it was "NONREFUNDABLE", might allow me to cancel since it was booked just within the last 24 hours. The total NONREFUNDABLE COST for the apartment was $1,672! Shall I repeat that? NONREFUNDABLE = $1,672. 

So, at first, I went thru BOOKING.COM's website to contact the apartment manager to see if I could cancel the APARTMENT without a PENALTY. The apartment manager responded back thru BOOKING.COM, that it was NO PROBLEM. And just as I thought - DONE! 

So, I then went ahead and booked a room at the BOUTIQUE HOTEL.

Next, I officially clicked the button on BOOKING.COM to cancel the APARTMENT.  YIKES!!!  The next screen showed a REFUND of only $250. That's a $1,013 LOSS!!! Imagine my HORROR and ANGST and tendency to WORRY.

I could have stopped there and allowed myself to get all upset, full of ANXIETY, lose sleep, get an upset tummy, take on the "POOR ME" attitude..... you know the drill.

Instead, I MADE THE CHOICE to remain CALM yet DILIGENT, taking one step at a time to obtain the FULL REFUND, as promised by the apartment manager. I didn't give in to the feelings of DEFEAT and simply accept the financial loss. Admittedly, I was a bit concerned that BOOKING.COM might have their own cancellation fee, but I would keep my FOCUS, THINK POSITIVELY and ASK for the promised FULL REFUND anyway. 

And you know what? BOOKING.COM couldn't have been more accommodating! They just needed some time to hear back directly from the APARTMENT confirming that they were willing to refund the full amount to me and VOILA! A FULL REFUND!!

Once again, I'm practicing the life lesson learned from MOM - DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE FUTURE and the life lesson from both MOM AND DAD to always remain POSITIVE. 

Dad used to say to us, "YOU NEVER KNOW 'TILL YOU ASK", and I hear that in my head all the time.

And CLOVER!!! teaches me daily all about PERSISTENCE!!  Thank you CLOVER!!!

And THANKS, MOM AND DAD. 

You both REMAIN ALIVE in my HEART and THOUGHTS and ACTIONS. It's a beautiful thing....... I'm very grateful.

JOAN