On Saturday, January  3, 2026. we became stranded in Barbados. Our flight home was suddenly canceled because of the military action in Venezuela.  While being stranded in Barbados may sound like an ideal situation it was surreal, frightening and unsettling. 

What began as a beautiful island vacation instantly shifted into anxiety as rumors spread and information was scarce. We were still at our hotel when we got the news and our minds felt heavy with confusion, strangers were bonding over shared uncertainty while refreshing flight apps and trying to  call the airlines offered no answers. Additionally concerns about the effect of our flight cancellation on the upcoming workweek was extremely stressful. 

At the same time, the contrast was jarring—the sun still shone, the ocean still sparkled, and life in Barbados seemed unchanged. We were grateful to be safe, yet powerless, caught between paradise and panic. The experience reminded us how quickly plans can unravel and how resilience often begins in moments we never expect.

The first flight we were able to book out was Thursday, January 8, 2026.  We then were lucky to finally get on a flight out on Tuesday, January 6,2026 to Newark.  One of our traveling companions has a daughter who is an aide worker in Ukraine.  She was six hours ahead of us and called us at 1:00 am on Tuesday to tell us that a flight had just opened up for Tuesday afternoon which we quickly booked. While the flight took off six hours late and finally landed on Wednesday morning at 2:00 am I was just very happy to be home. 

Get Outlook for iOS