Just a few months ago, I decided that I wanted to travel abroad to Galway, Ireland. In the land of the leprechauns and Guinness, I figured I would be capable of anything. I could go explore new areas, meet new people and have the time of my life. That said, I didn't take into account the possible disasters that would bedevil me prior to the trip.

The week before I boarded my flight to this largely green country, my boyfriend and I broke up. The shock and sadness I felt were incomparable to most experiences I've been through in my 20 years of life, and I was lost. I wasn't sure how I was going to survive without him.

As the days went on, I found the struggle of being unable to text him, unable to see him, unable to hear his voice, became slightly easier as the days moved on. I held my head high and I looked to Ireland as the place where I could rediscover myself as an independent person of him. And so that was my plan.

The day of the trip rolled around sooner than I had expected. Unfortunately, as I had intended to stay with my boyfriend for the week, I had shipped two pairs of much needed shoes to his mailbox, and was unable to reorder them on time for the trip. So a few hours before my flight from Boston to Philadelphia (I was flying out of Philly with two friends accompanying me on the trip) my mom and I went out and bought the shoes I needed.

Phew, that was a close one I thought. When we arrived back home it was 1 o'clock - three hours to go before my flight took off. I went upstairs to my room to finish packing and all of a sudden I hear "Holy shit, Syd, your flight got canceled." I started to laugh, thinking my mother jokingly wanted to add to any burdens I was already carrying, but as I walked down to the kitchen, I heard the automated voice on the phone saying "We're sorry. Your flight from Boston Logan Airport to Philadelphia International Airport has been cancelled."

My head started spinning, my heart started palpitating. This magnificent trip I was supposed to embark on suddenly came to a screeching halt before my eyes. And then an angel appeared to me and said "I can drive you, I'm leaving for school now." That angel was none other than my brother, Andy, who thankfully was driving from home back to Lehigh that very minute.

So, I quickly gathered my things, threw them in the back of the car, and off we went, speeding - safely - through the states toward Philly.

With an hour to spare, we made it to the airport. I checked my luggage, went through security and met my friends at the gate. The few days/hours leading up to my trip were amongst the most hectic and emotionally taxing that I have experienced in a while, yet somehow, I wouldn't trade them for the world. It's times like these when life puts you through the ringer that you come out a better and stronger person. So, I guess in the end, I did find something of the likeness of a pot of gold - sanity.