The nationwide ground stop disrupted my flight to a Vegas conference, but I hitched a ride and got there in 6 hours

The nationwide ground stop disrupted my flight to a Vegas conference, but I hitched a ride and got there in 6 hours Vanessa Santos in the back of the car, driving from Phoenix to Las Vegas. Courtesy of Vanessa Santos This story is based on an interview with Vanessa Santos, 43, a business consultant for female founders from Phoenix. It has been edited for length and clarity.I got a message on the app that my 1:45 p.m. Southwest Airlines flight from Phoenix was slightly delayed, giving me a chance to dash to Starbucks.The delay was longer than expected. Then, as we finally boarded the plane, I overheard the gate agent telling another employee something about a ground stop.We were told to deplaneA man sitting across from me looked alarmed. "This hasn't happened since 9/11," he said.We sat at the gate for 45 minutes, then were told to deplane. The announcer said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had grounded all US flights. Santos speaking at a previous conference. Courtesy of Vanessa Santos Nobody was complaining, and the general attitude was that there was nothing we could do about it. However, over time, people began to panic, asking whether they should rebook.They were trying to open the app, but it wasn't working. Next, someone said it was the result of a cyberattack. The energy changed, and I decided I didn't want to stay there anymore.I was due to speak at my friend Alexis's business conference the next morning, and I couldn't think of anything worse than letting her down.It had been months in the making, and she was relying on me. No rental cars were availableThen I remembered another friend, Marisol, in the city who'd told me she was driving to Vegas. I texted her on the off-chance she hadn't set off. If she had, I would have rented a car.Fortunately, she was still at home. She said she had room in her Kia SUV for one more person: me. I was so relieved, especially after I discovered that no rental cars were available.And so began my impromptu road trip. Marisol's husband, Francisco, drove with her up front. Marisol's friend, Jess, and I sat in the back. On their way to Vegas: Francisco and Marisol Isuala (front) and Santos and Jessica Hernandez. Courtesy of Vanessa Santos I called myself a passenger princess because I felt so spoiled. We stopped at Buc-ee's to pick up snacks and In-N-Out for meat patties. We sang along to a '90s hip-hop playlist — millennial throwbacks —and had great chats. I would never have experienced that on the plane.It took six hoursThe journey was a cool adventure from start to finish. It rained hard, so we had to pull over several times. It didn't matter. I was getting to Las Vegas against the odds.All in all, it took seven hours, including breaks, to drive 300 miles to our destination. I was excited to be moderating my panel after all.It was Friday the 13th, and unlucky for other travelers stranded at the airport. I felt bad for them. For me, however, it was a pretty awesome day. Read next Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Jane Ridley is a correspondent on Business Insider’s Life team, where she tackles parenting, health, careers, and real estate with a reporter’s edge and a storyteller’s instinct.She’s known for her signature As Told To narratives — raw, first‑person accounts shaped from intimate, revealing interviews.Before Business Insider, Ridley spent a decade at the New York Post and six years at the New York Daily News, where she wrote exclusive, standout features.Born and raised in the UK, she moved to the US in 2005 after seven years at The Daily Mirror in London. Her reporting has taken her everywhere from Tokyo and Beijing to Sydney, Bangkok, Athens, and Madrid. as told to transport FAA More Road Trip