Volcanic Ash Victims – What to do?

Okay, so you’re stuck abroad moaning about not being able to get home. Yeah it’s frustrating but how about you make the most of it rather than complaining.

Continue your holiday

Find a hotel and continue enjoying yourself. You’ll know as soon as flights resume. Go swimming, get a tan and stop fretting. There’s not really much you can do and it sure beats sitting around in an airport for the next week or two. This is what your emergency credit card was for. Plus, you might even be able to claim some of it back on the holiday insurance.

Become a journalist

Document what is happening to you. The airlines getting your hopes up, the people you meet, the area you are in. Either use the airport internet cafe and create a blog or write it all down ready to give to the next willing newspaper that comes along.

You could either wait to get home to sell your story, by which time everyone might be bored of this, or you can give the Times and quick call and see if they want to interview you or read what you’ve written. You’ll need to be able to email them though. I wouldn’t count on a letter getting back to the UK any time soon.

Become a photographer

You’ll probably have a camera with you for your holiday. Use it to photograph the people you meet. Take pictures of the quiet skies around the airport. Go out and explore the surrounding area.

Make friends

They’ll be quite a few others in the same boat as you. Connect with them, share in your collective stranding. Make the most of it. Go for coffee, dinner, go to a club. It’s easier to deal with something like this when you’ve got others around to support you.

Support the locals

Business will be booming in places with high amount of tourism. Go and support those little businesses. Drink in quaint little taverns, visit the markets. Embrace the culture of the people around. Talk to them and be happy in the thought that you are experiencing something brilliant.

Go down in history

People will be talking about this for years to come. You have the perfect party story now. Make sure it is an exciting one.

Go on an adventure

So you are stuck. No planes. Trains are full. Can you hire a car? If you can then drive yourself home. Enjoy the scenery, stop at any place you think looks beautiful. You’ve probably been stranded for a few days now, a few more days won’t make any difference. If you an in Europe then drive to Calais or Holland for a packed ferry home. Car hire places will happily let you drop the car off elsewhere. You might be able to drive the whole way home.

You are off work

You’re not working, you are in a holiday hotspot. Enjoy yourself. You have the perfect excuse. Don’t panic about all the emails you’ll have to deal with when you get back. There is absolutely nothing you can do about it. Relax.

Stop getting annoyed

Yes, the volcano was very inconsiderate spewing out all that dust but shit happens. Be thankful that you are somewhere alive an well. You’ve had a holiday. You get to have more of a holiday. That screams WIN to me. Would you really rather be up in the air in a plane with engines full of dust? That dust melts engines. There’s no way in hell you’d get me anywhere near a plane if the engines might melt.

It’s not the airlines’ fault. It’s not your fault, it’s not that country’s fault. It’s a volcano. They tend to do what the hell they want.

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