Some trips begin before you ever step on the plane.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the joy of visiting my sons in Los Angeles, where they’ve been slowly building a new life since March.

For them, it’s been an adventure. For me, it’s been bittersweet.

I wasn’t planning a trip out west until later this year, but a few unexpected changes opened the door for me to go sooner.  And I’m so glad they did, because I ended up having the time of my life.

There were so many things to do and see, but nothing compared to simply being with my boys. In case you’re wondering, they’re doing great, growing, thriving, and exploring their new home.

Here’s how it all started.

First, I had to fly. If you’ve been around the blog for a while, you know I’ve always been a nervous flyer. I’m still not completely fearless, but I’m not where I used to be. I’ve prayed about it for years and pushed myself to face it, and it seems those prayers and that practice are finally taking root. Flying just doesn’t intimidate me the way it once did.

The night before we were supposed to leave, we got an alert from American Airlines saying our flight from Dallas to Burbank was canceled because of weather.

Not delayed.

Not rescheduled.

Canceled.

My first thought was to cancel the whole trip, because the only other option was a four‑and‑a‑half‑hour flight from Charlotte.

We planned our flights in a way that felt manageable to me, nothing more than 2.5 hours at a time.  Well, that alert destroyed any hope of breaking the trip in half. After I had a small meltdown over the sudden change, we used the airline app to book a new flight. I was now looking at a four‑and‑a‑half‑hour flight… in a middle seat. To say I was upset would be an understatement.

It’s funny how quickly a plan can unravel, and how quickly God can steady you again.

But with something so important waiting on the other side of all this chaos, I knew I didn’t really have a choice. Neither hell nor high water can keep a mom away from her kids, and neither can an uncomfortably long flight. I’ll spare you the boring details and just say the trip across the country was actually pretty decent. Long, yes. But bearable.

When we originally bought our tickets, we were flying into Burbank, a small, pleasant airport close to our hotel. But with the change, we were suddenly landing at LAX, the big, busy airport I had hoped to avoid. And to make things even more inconvenient, I had rented a car in Burbank.

My youngest son picked us up at LAX and drove us to Burbank so I could get the rental. And the moment I saw his face, I knew all the “difficulty” was worth it.

Then the three of us, my daughter, my son, and I, went to lunch. I cannot tell you how thrilled I was to sit at the same table with two of my kids, laughing, sharing life, and making plans for the week.

Honestly, words fail me.

Something I worried about, besides the flight, was the time change. California is three hours behind us, and I knew it would hit me hard. Still, I promised myself I wouldn’t give in to the exhaustion until I got home. My daughter, on the other hand, went straight to the hotel room and fell asleep. Ha!

But you know what? Her nap gave me the perfect chance to spend some one‑on‑one time with Travis. I called and asked if he’d show me where he works. I know the company, of course, but I wanted to see the actual building. So, he picked me up, and we spent the next couple of hours together, just the two of us. I get teary‑eyed even now thinking about it. We talked about everything connected to his new life. He answered every question and let me take as many pictures as I wanted.

It really was the best time with him.