A combined travel time of 50 hours was the end result of a training trip that Joe Sinn and David Thuene took in anticipation of the 2024 Spain/Portugal trip. While Spring Lake students were busy enjoying their snow days, the duo was battling the ice in Amsterdam.

Their flight was intended to be a connecting flight from Madrid to Amsterdam followed by a 90 minute layover for their flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, and a final flight from Detroit to Grand Rapids. However, their plans were changed due to freezing rain in Amsterdam that delayed countless flights, including their own, leading to them missing their connecting flight and being stranded in Amsterdam for a night. 

As Sinn commented, “most of the other trainees just went to the hotel that’s right by the airport and had  dinner there”. But with Theune having 6+ months of experience living in Amsterdam, he was the unofficial tour guide. “He took me on a really cool walking tour by Anne Franks house, the RijksMuseum, and a little cheese shop”. 

They were able to make it to their next fight the following morning and make their connecting flight to end up in Grand Rapids. 

Sinn and Thuene had traveled to Madrid and Barcelona for a three day training put on by EF Breaks to prepare for the Summer 2024 Spain and Portugal trip. The seminar training covered everything from emergency situations, how to manage room assignments, to how to handle a delayed flight.. In the afternoon, trainees would go on a mock tour to put their training in action. 

“I think the real life experience of having the delay was probably the most helpful”.