“Who wants to go to Disney World?” I asked my kids.
Immediately they reacted shouting, “Me! Me! Me!”
I turned to my wife and whispered in her ear, “Project sold. We have our ‘startup team’ onboard!”
“Okay, okay! Calm down, kids. Don’t get too excited yet,” I said in a loud voice, “This will be a long trip. Florida is very far away. It will take two days to get there.”
“Only two days? Ohh, come on, dad, that’s nothing! We can take it.”
“Kids, I’m telling you this won’t be easy. I can assure you this will challenge every one of us,” I said.
“No worries, Dad. We can take it. We’re ready!” my girl said confidently.
So we started planning our trip.
We did some research, paperwork, and finally packed our luggage to make this ‘project’ a reality. The motivation and excitement were enough to lift every one of us into taking care of all the details.
The day finally came. No more planning. It was time to take action! “Hop into the car,” I said, “And don’t forget your luggage!”
That day we woke up at 5:00 AM. Everyone energetically jumped out of their beds. The goal was clear: Get to Disney World! Our plan was to drive to New Orleans, sleep there and continue to Orlando the following day.
Easy, right? That’s what we thought …
As soon as we took action, reality kicked in.
“Dad, I need a restroom!”
We stopped.
Then we hit the U.S. border with two long hours of car line.
We stopped.
“Mom, I’m hungry!”
We stopped.
“Dad, are we there yet?”
“No, we still have several hours ahead of us,” I answered patiently.
Then, internal problems began to emerge, “Keep your hands to yourself!” one said.
“I didn’t do anything!” the other said.
“Yes, you did!”
We stopped for a break before the conflict escalated.
Then, our resources started to become scarce. We needed gasoline but found no gas stations nearby. Patience. Uncertainty. More patience. Nerves. Uncertainty.
It took time, but we finally found one.
We stopped.
Then we bumped into an accident in the middle of the highway blocking the road. We had to use a different road to avoid all the traffic.
It took us much, much longer than expected to get to our first destination, but, finally, hotel and dinner for everyone!
Tough day, full of unexpected issues, but we successfully solved one at a time. Day one … OVER.
Early the next day, I woke up to motivate the team. “Who wants to go to Disney World?”
“Me! Me! Me!” They shouted jumping out of their beds.
“Quickly,” I said. “We have another long day ahead of us,” I told my ‘partners.’
Everyone was excited. Off we went …
A couple of hours later, problems started to happen again, “Mom?”
“Yes?” my wife asked.
“I’m dizzy!” one of our children said, followed by a long pause.
“Mom? I want to …” my kid said with his eyes popping out while holding his mouth tightly.
“HECTOR,” my wife shouted, “PUT DOWN THE WINDOW AND STOP THE CAR!”
We stopped.
Then a restroom.
We stopped.
Then gasoline.
We stopped.
A few hours later, “Dad, I’m hungry!”
We stopped.
“Mom, are we there yet?”
“Not yet, we still have a few hours ahead of us,” my wife patiently said.
Then a yellow warning light appeared on my dashboard. “CHECK ENGINE.”
I found the nearest Honda dealer. We deviated from our route, again. A few hours later, success. Issue solved. We continued.
Then emotions started to overtake us.
“Dad, I want to get out. I don’t feel like going to Orlando anymore,” my girl said impatiently.
“We’re almost there,” I said.
Emotions turned into desperation …
“DAD, ARE WE THERE YET? WILL WE EVER GET THERE?”
“Yes, we’re just a few minutes away.”
Minutes felt like hours, until FINALLY … we got there.
This is an exemplification of “the startup life.”
Expect a journey full of emotions. You will experience good days and bad days. You will work hard with little-to-no progress and multiple unexpected roadblocks along the way.
That’s okay. That’s the road everyone goes through on their way to “Disney World.”
We all start with a dream. We plan. That’s easy!
The real adventure starts the moment we get moving, and like on any road trip, your PATIENCE will be tested.
But, hey! Cheer up! Remember that “Disney World” awaits you at your destination!
My advice: Control your attitude!
Remember that the “adventure” that leads to your destination is also part of your overall “Disney Trip” experience!