Planes, Paws, and Paperwork: A Lesson in Flexibility

If you’ve ever moved pets across continents, you know it’s not for the faint of heart. It’s equal parts logistics, luck, and letting go of control.

In early 2023, I was relocating to Brazil - not just with luggage, but with five furry travel companions. Because I managed the animal transport myself, I had to navigate a maze of airline regulations. Each flight allowed only two pets, which meant multiple shipments: two dogs, two cats, and finally JJ, my last (and, frankly, most opinionated) traveler.

Everything was perfectly planned… until weather delays, flight changes, and one small paperwork mistake (in my not-so-great Portuguese) sent the entire plan into chaos.

What followed was a crash course in flexibility, complete with missed flights, full cat hotels, and one kind courier who quite literally saved the day.

When Plans Fall Apart (and the Cat Hotel Is Full)

Because airlines don’t fly animals in cargo when it’s too hot or too cold, JJ’s route kept changing. After a few delays, he finally made it to Dallas, where he stayed at a “cat hotel” until it was safe to fly.

To keep things smooth, I arranged for JJ to be on my same flight from Dallas to São Paulo and hired a pet courier to help us clear customs. All set, right?

Not exactly.

My flight to Dallas was delayed, which meant JJ might arrive before me - and my already-stressed-out cat was about to become an international traveler without his human. Then, due to a paperwork error I didn’t catch (thank you, beginner Portuguese), JJ’s release was delayed. He missed his connection to Salvador, and our courier had to improvise.

With every cat hotel near the airport full, the courier did what flexible thinkers do best - he adapted. He took JJ home for the night, gave him food, comfort, and safety, and got him on a morning flight to meet me.

By the time JJ arrived, I was exhausted but reminded of one of the most important truths about life in a VUCA world: it’s not your plan that defines you - it’s how you adapt when the plan unravels.

What My Cat Taught Me About Flexibility

We often think of “flexibility” as optional, a nice-to-have when chaos strikes. But during VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) situations, it’s your lifeline.

Here’s what JJ’s detour reminded me:

✅ Rigidity leads to frustration. When you cling too tightly to “how it was supposed to go,” you waste energy fighting reality.

✅ Adaptability creates solutions. Once I stopped trying to “fix” the plan and focused on what could work now, options appeared.

✅ Resourcefulness is born from trust. Flexibility thrives when you allow others to step in and help, not when you try to control every detail.

A Question for You

When was the last time life threw your plan into chaos?

Did you fight to keep the old plan alive - or did you bend, improvise, and adapt your way through it?

Because here’s the truth: it’s not the most rigid who thrive in VUCA - it’s the most flexible.