My Intuition Is My Friend

Backstreet Boys, a concussion, and a missed flight.

Story time: Before the nightmare.

I recently reconnected with an old friend, and she asked if I wanted to attend an event. Not just any event — it was the Backstreet Boys in concert! So I agreed. It was a no-brainer for a 90s kid.

Days before my flight, my intuition was clear: Don’t go.

Was this a mistake?! We are talking about the Backstreet Boys! I had already packed my bags and booked the flight- so I ignored my intuition.

Initially, things were okay. We caught up, went out to dinner, and had lots of laughs. Things quickly took a turn for the worse on the evening of the concert.

Allow me to preface by stating: Since I started my spiritual journey, I have rarely attended events with large crowds.

Okay, back to the story.

The nightmare begins.

So, we all arrive, pregame, and head to the grassy area. As soon as I walk into the venue, I am overwhelmed with emotion and discomfort. To top it off, it was almost 100 degrees, there were preteens everywhere, and there was no music. It seems we sat there in the heat for hours.

There are people all around me — laughing, singing, and arguing. I leave for the toilets. At that moment, I knew I was out of place. I did not belong there.

I exited the toilet, but because of nightfall — I could not find them. I texted my friend that I needed to retrieve my things and head back to the hotel. She was angry and refused to meet me to return my items.

Stranded and abandoned.

I will fast forward here. The rest of the trip was a total nightmare. The friend and I were in a huge argument (she did most of the arguing), and she threw me out on the street in a new city.

No big deal, I have traveled alone and would book another hotel and leave this God-awful situation. I wanted to return to the isolation of my home as soon as humanly possible. I called more than 20 hotels that night — they were all booked because of flight cancellations (thousands of people were stranded that night).

I was on the street in front of the hotel for hours (they would not allow me to sit in the lobby), and no one would help me. Later a sweet Lyft driver turned off her app and took me to a rougher side of town. After several attempts, I booked a room.

It gets worse, much worse.

30- hours later, I am sitting at the airport. I realized it was time to board. I walked over, and everyone was gone. The gate agent said the flight had taken off. I have never missed a flight. I found out that I was at the wrong gate.

I re-booked a night in a hotel in the downtown area. I might as well do some exploring! While seated at the bar, I am approached, thrown into some wrestling position, and thrown out to the ground by the bouncer.

My phone landed in the water, and my head hit the concrete so hard I saw stars. I was shocked and shook. Could this be a mistaken identity? I was seated alone. I did not know these people. I did not receive an explanation.

Was this a curse? It had to be. It was unreal.

By the time I left, I had a damaged phone, was out of hundreds of dollars, had a concussion, had bruises all over my body, and lost a friendship I had for over a decade.

The return home.

When I returned to the safety of my home, I started to replay the horrific events. As I did this, I began to laugh uncontrollably. I could not believe how the trip turned out, but I was not surprised. I should have listened.

I still laugh at this story. I am very thankful for my gift of intuition. Since I started my spiritual journey, it has grown significantly. It is here to guide and protect me. My intuition is my friend. The moral of the story is: Listen to your gut or get thrown out on your butt. :)

First published by Know Thyself, Heal Thyself

© Ari Love, 2022