From JuJu with Love

I’ve traveled all over the world.

I’ve crossed the Drake Passage to Antarctica.

I’ve taken tiny planes into remote parts of Africa.

I’ve navigated language barriers, time zones, currency exchanges, and more airport security lines than I can count.

And somehow…

the most chaotic reservation situation I’ve ever had happened in Charleston, South Carolina.

Not exactly what you’d expect.

Charleston is supposed to be easy. Charming. Walkable. Southern hospitality and pastel houses and good food. Not… reservation drama.

And yet, here we are.

What started as a simple hotel booking somehow turned into one of those situations where you start asking yourself,

“Wait… did I just get scammed?”

(Always a fun feeling.)

The four of us were on a zoom call planning our trip when I picked up the phone to call the hotel. It turns out that I called a third-party booking site instead of directly calling the hotel. We asked some questions and before I knew it the entire hotel stay was charged to my American Express card and the agent hung up. I immediately called back. We started asking questions and they told us there was 100% penalty for canceling. After a sleepless night, I called AMEX and disputed the charges.

At first, I was frustrated. More than frustrated, honestly.

Because this isn’t my first trip. I know how to do this. I’ve been doing this for years.

But travel has a funny way of humbling you when you least expect it.

So instead of spiraling, I did what seasoned travelers eventually learn to do:

I pivoted.

I went directly to the hotel and booked the rooms—no money upfront, a clear cancellation policy, and, just to add a little extra satisfaction to the moment… it was actually $50 cheaper than the original reservation.

Which, I’m not going to lie, felt like a small personal victory.

I sent the details to my friends, and within minutes:

“You are the best!!”

“Perfect and huge thanks”

And just like that, the chaos turned into calm.

Because here’s the truth:

Travel doesn’t get easier just because you’ve done more of it.

Things still go wrong.

Plans still change.

And sometimes the most unexpected places are the ones that trip you up.

The difference is… you get better at handling it.

You learn not to panic.

You learn to have a backup plan.

And you learn that sometimes the best move is to go straight to the source and take control of the situation.

So yes—of all the places I’ve traveled, from the ends of the earth to places most people only dream about…

Planning this Charleston vacation gave me my most chaotic reservation story.

But it also gave me a reminder:

Even when things don’t go as planned, you can still save the trip.

And honestly?

That might be the most important travel skill of all.

We leave for Charleston and Savannah next week. If you’d like to hear how the adventure actually unfolds, subscribe to From JuJu With Love below. I have a feeling there will be stories.

From Juju with love 💙