Growing up, we had a VHS tape where we’d recorded three different movies from the television — “The Million Dollar Duck,” “The Wizard of Oz” and “Fletch.” On a Saturday or lazy summer afternoon, my older sister and I would sometimes watch all three movies in a row, but most of the time, we would rewind or fast forward to the start of “The Wizard of Oz.”
From Auntie Em’s house to the ruby red slippers and yellow brick road to the flying monkeys and the hot air balloon, the actors’ faces, the script and the music became part of the fabric of our childhood. And even if you’ve never watched the movie, most people know Dorothy’s famous line where she says, “There’s no place like home.”
As I write this column, I’ve just returned from six days in northern Arizona. My older son and his cross country team have been in Flagstaff for the better part of July for altitude training. Elite distance runners often train at a higher altitude because it offers a number of benefits in relation to endurance sports. It boosts VO2 max, which is the amount of oxygen your body can use for cardiovascular exercise. Additionally, being exposed to altitude causes the kidneys to produce erythropoietin (EPO), a hormone that stimulates red blood cell growth.
The assistant coach and several parents have taken turns staying with the team to transport them and manage meals. A group of 12 distance runners is ravenous at sea level, so you can imagine how hungry they are at altitude where even more calories are required. Another mom and I were out there together, and though it was work to feed all those boys, it was also an absolute blast. In between them running and us cooking, we saw the beautiful sites of that area.
Along with exploring the lively downtown of Flagstaff, we hiked the Elden Lookout Trail, drove to see The Grand Canyon, rode the scenic gondola at Snowbowl and spent a day in Sedona. I was only there for five nights and six days, so the boys have had the opportunity to do even more sightseeing. They are truly making memories of a lifetime, and it’s fun to watch.
All was just peachy until I got to the Flagstaff Pulliam Airport to fly home. Immediately, delays ensued until we were pushed so far back I’d likely miss my connection in Dallas. The pilot was able to make up a chunk of lost time, but as we were preparing to land in Dallas, air traffic control asked our plane to circle for 45 minutes to avoid a storm. Apparently, our plane did not have enough fuel to circle so it was diverted to San Antonio. We landed in San Antonio and were first in line to refuel, but when we took off again, air traffic was too thick to go the direct route, so we flew around Houston which took twice as long. I didn’t just miss my original connection, but I missed all flights to Asheville for the rest of the day.
American Airlines gave me a hotel and meal voucher and rebooked me on a flight leaving the following evening and landing around 11 p.m. I was feeling impatient to get home and see the rest of my family, so I opted for another flight which got me to Greenville-Spartanburg Airport just after 1 p.m., but I would have to rent a car and drive home. I’d purchased travel insurance for this particular trip because at one point, we didn’t know if we could figure out all the moving parts to get an entire team to Flagstaff, so I wanted the security of a refund in case the trip never happened. That ended up being a good choice because the travel insurance covered my rental car.
The next snafu was that with all the changes, my checked bag got a bit confused as to where it was going and didn’t realize I was now headed to Greenville/Spartanburg (GSP) instead of asheville. Once I got the rental car, I planned to swing by the Asheville Airport and grab my bag. Or so I thought. As I was landing at GSP, I got a text from American Airlines saying my bag would be rerouted to GSP in several hours, but I didn’t want to wait several hours.
Luckily, the rental car process was quick and efficient at GSP. I hopped into the Hyundai Kona, hands at ten and two, eyes locked straight forward, and drove to the Asheville airport, hoping I could catch my bag before it got on a plane to GSP. I parked the car and ran into the airport’s baggage claim area where an American Airlines employee was scanning bags. I didn’t see my giant orange suitcase anywhere, and I just knew it’d already been loaded on a plane going south.
I walked up to the woman and explained my situation and she said, “I just put a giant orange suitcase in the baggage room.” She went and retrieved my bag. I gave this stranger the biggest hug. She smiled and said, “Happy to help,” and in that moment, I’d never been more grateful to anyone in my life.
When I finally entered Haywood County, surrounded by the Smoky Mountains, Dorothy’s quintessential line floated through my mind. “There’s no place like home.” I’m an adventurer at heart and the more I travel, the more of the world I want to see, but at the same time, it’s wonderful to be home, and in my opinion, there’s no place more beautiful and relaxing than Western North Carolina.
(Susanna Shetley is writer and editor who lives in Waynesville. susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com.)