Innsbruck, Austria
I am addicted to social media for travel.
I spend far too much time on Twitter and Facebook, and I have signed up for Google+. Foursquare and Instagram are my latest obsessions.
I have decided not to bother trying to deal with the addiction and just accept it. Getting saved by Twitter in Buenos Aires just affirmed my connection to those online.
And it happened again today.
This morning I found out my grandmother is in the hospital with pneumonia and it is just a matter of time before she passes.
Obviously the first thought is to go home.
But I am in Innsbruck Austria and it’s not the easiest or cheapest way to fly out. My Eurail pass starts tomorrow so I knew I could travel anywhere in Europe to get a flight and I could get there quickly. There were so many options, but how to do it?
I immediately made the decision to leave but I had no idea how to do it.
Not knowing the best route or European hubs I felt flustered and frazzled so I did the only thing I could.
I asked on Facebook and Twitter.
Within seconds people gave me suggestions for routes and airlines. I was suddenly armed with a direction to search online. I learned that London would be the best route and fellow Canadians Hecktic Travels told me of a discount site that was half the other sites.
But how to get to London? I was all the way in Austria.
Fortunately I have a Eurail pass so I knew I had lots of options to get around Europe. I knew all I had to do was to get close. Lily Leung was in the hostel with me looking up routes and British bloggers I had met in Austria told me my options and that I could get a discount on the tunnel with my Eurail pass and rough ideas of how much it would cost.
I started getting private messages asking if I needed a place to stay and others offered their phone number in case I got stranded or needed help.
So often we hear reports that the internet and the way we communicate is creating a disconnected society. I know we would now rather text someone than call them but I can’t help but feel more connected to people with the support they gave me.
So maybe people would rather text or IM me, but when it really counts they are the same ones who help you out of a tough situation.
Photo (c) Craig
I'm Ayngelina and in my mid-thirties. I left an amazing job, boyfriend, apartment and friends to find inspiration in Latin America. I'm creating a new life choosing what I want instead of what other people think I should do.
What a terrible news.. I am sure you made the right decision. It’s great to have people around you (and on the internet) who can help you out in terrible situations like these. Take care.
We just had a similar situation (social network-wise, not family emergency-wise) a couple weeks ago. 24 hours before our flight from Moscow to Bangkok, we hopped online to see if we could get seat assignments, only to discover that our flight had been rescheduled on us and had already left.
It threw us into a frenzy and an hour into a fruitless call to the Orbitz customer support line, I decided to tweet about the mess we were in. Within minutes, someone behind Orbitz’s customer care Twitter account contacted me and asked what they could do to help. In the end, Orbitz discovered that they’d never sent us an email about the flight being rescheduled (even though it had been rescheduled fully two months before) and apologized for their mistake.
It took five hours to get a new flight booked that night, but in the end, everything seems to have worked out. Orbitz has already reimbursed us for our expenses, including part of our new flight and the hotel reservation we lost. They’ve promised that the balance will eventually be refunded by the airlines, too. (I’m waiting until it’s fully resolved to write up the whole thing on our blog.)
Point is, we got absolutely nowhere with the customer support phone line. It was only after venting on Twitter that we got out of a huge travel bind. Who says social networks are only good for sharing what you had for lunch?
It is but a drop in the bucket to all the help you’ve given us. Glad we were able to help in a tough situation.
I’m so sorry to hear about your grandmother. It’s amazing how many nice people are in the world to help you when you need it most. Safe travels on your way home. I’ll be thinking of you.
Maggie recently posted..Korea Bucket List
I still remember when you wanted to get to TBEX after the volcano eruptions and we all tweeted Air Canada to send you back. We love you!
Mica recently posted..On Location: Photo of the week-conch ceviche by the sea
There seems to be a lot of sad grandmother news lately in the travel blog world…
Glad you made it back.
Matthew Karsten recently posted..Ciudad Panama en la Noche [PHOTO]
Horrible to get bad news from home, and I’m sorry to hear that you have, but it is reassuring to hear about the good in people, when you often only hear about the bad stuff that happens.
So sorry to hear about your grandmother! My grandpa passed away while I was on an island off the coast of Brazil in the summer of 2003. I ended up cutting my trip short, but I still had to miss the funeral. I’m glad so many people are ready and willing to help when you need them. Thinking of you.
~Sophia
Ayngelina, so sorry to hear about your grandmother, but happy to hear you were able to successfully tap into your online network of friends and supporters. From my own experience and others’, the power of social media is becoming more and more apparent. Glad you made it back.
Phil recently posted..I Have a Plane Ticket
I’m sorry to hear about your grandmother. I wrote you an email! Please let me know if I can be of any help!!!!
Sebastian recently posted..Wine tasting in Melnik, Bulgaria
I’m so sorry to hear of your news. I had a similar situation while I was travelling and it was part of the reason why I came home when I did. This just proves how amazing social media is. I quite often forget that it is for so much more than just socialising.
Hey, sorry to hear about your Grandmother. I hope she gets better.
Really cool to hear about all your support via social networking.
Such a powerful tool.
All the best and have a safe journey home.
Cal recently posted..Snorkeling The Great Barrier Reef – Whitsundays – Australia
I am so sorry about your Grandmother Ayngelina. But I am happy to be part of that online network you love and I can’t wait to see you in London for WTM if it still works out. XO
Kirsten recently posted..Travel Bloggers Unite Conference in Innsbruck
You bring up a good point. I am one of the people that believes *some* people are more disconnected due to the internet and texting and other social media. But you’ve proven that it doesn’t have to be that way.
The Travel Chica recently posted..Feeling Small in Buenos Aires
I am so sorry to hear about your grandmother. I am glad that there were so many people there to help you though and yes, it does prove that the Internet has opened up many more possibilities than we had in the past. All the best and we’re thinking of you and your family.
I’m so sorry about your Grandmother. I am so glad the online community could help and embrace you during such a tough time.
Terrible news. I am so sorry to hear about your grandmother. I am also on social network & I believe there are people to help you when you need it.
Nisha @cemonde recently posted..Homestays in India
So sorry to hear about your grandmother. The travel community is definitely helpful with solving problems, and this is one occasion where reaching out and getting help is the right thing to do. Hope your trip home is going smoothly and you get to spend time with her.
Jack @eyeflare travel recently posted..Visit the ruins of Arycanda in Lycia, Turkey
I was in Ecuador when I found out that my mother was in hospital in New Zealand. My flight was ex-Santiago and I could change the dates. But this was long before cheap flights, so basically I had to get to Santiago inside about 2 days, but interantional flights in South America were $$$$. I took the bus to the border with Peru, picked up a flight in northern Peru to Lima (booked a few hours earlier) slept on the floor at Lima airport – another cheap flight to southern Peru. Got a bus/taxi over the border to northern Chile – where I caught a 12 hr bus to Santiago.
This was long before the Internet. Would it have been easier with SM – I’m not convinced – at the end of the day surface transport is always there – I knew that there were overnight buses in Chile – the rest of it I just kept asking as I went (my Spanish was OK, but not fluent).
At the end of the day its always the risk you take when travelling – but can you stay home waiting for relatives to die – no of course not, nor I’m sure would your grandmother wanted you to!
Lissie – from Travel Tips recently posted..Kindle 2011: Why I’m Buying Another Kindle for International Travel
Hi Ayngelina,
I’m so sorry about your grandmother… but I’m glad you got help from the travel/social media community to find a route back to Canada quickly.
You give a lot to the community as well Ayngelina, so what goes around comes around
- Lily
Lily (Explore for a Year) recently posted..9 Essential Eurail Travel Tips & Questions (@Eurail)
I know there’s a lot of talk about people being disconnected now that they’re online but the connections you make with people are incredible. Yours is an example of how amazing and life-saving something like social media can be.
Ceri recently posted..My New Little Big Thing
Haven’t checked in here for a little while and very sorry to hear your family news. Look after yourselves.
robin recently posted..El Idioma
I love hearing stories like this. It makes sense of what sometimes seem like a too connected world.
Sorry to hear about your grandmother.
Kent @ No Vacation Required recently posted..The Value of Reliability (Expedia and Enterprise, We’re Talking To You)
Oh no, I’m so sorry to hear about your grandmother. But I’m very relieved to hear you were able to get the help and support you needed. Those situations, especially when unexpected and emotional, can become very hectic. It’s good to hear the community made it that much smoother. Safe travels love.
Michi recently posted..Eating a la Española – it’s a down-and-dirty sort of art.
So sorry to hear about your grandma! I’m glad you got the help that you need.
Grace recently posted..The sights, sounds, spirits and flavors of Frenchmen Street in New Orleans