What if you flew across the world, hours on a plane to be denied entry at your destination? Is that thought scary? It happened to my mom just a few months ago.

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Here's where we ended off last time!

So poor momma was exhausted beyond belief and had only just finally manage to get herself settled in this comfy exec suite (that was costing us more than we had budgeted for the entire two week stay in Bali) when all of a sudden she was needing to force herself to take on the city. On the way out some schmoozer at the front desk talked her into staying another night since she would have missed check out while she was out for her blind date with a guardian angel!

Running late and completely oblivious to traveling alone, (let alone in a foreign country) she hustled and bustled her way out to the street to get a cab. (I tried to explain Uber to her since she still hadn't exchanged currency yet but she was too frazzled for that at the time and told me to stop trying to get her to meddle with technology!)

So as you know, I was at our rented villa in Bali, waiting for her to meet me and trying to facilitate everything I could from my end to make her life easier. I was texting my friend whose friend was texting him, asking where momma was! As I did my best to navigate her through her journey, her patience was failing and I could tell she was feeling defeated and burnt out as she definitely needed more sleep!

She finally seemed to have everything sorted, was on the way to the meeting point and told me she would check in again later when she got back (trying to save her limited data plan!)

Good grief. Now I could sit tight for a minute and try to de-stress from all of this. It was then that I just broke down into tears. I was standing in the kitchen of the beautiful villa we had spent so much time picking out, looking into the pool that momma had insisted on us having... beyond the purple and pink flowers that I prioritized getting her, (as they were her favourite and I knew they would brighten her day) I cried like a damn baby!

Looking around at the villa I had set up, agenda on the table, filled with appointments and plans to give her the time of her life. I was so disappointed that now, she was out on the streets of Hong Kong, without me.

Through my teary eyes, I was trying to keep calm and collected, wondering what was going on with momma but also needing a serious replenishment of rest. My bloodshot, baggy eyes challenged me as I researched everything I could concerning visas and the Canadian consulate in Hong Kong. I downloaded all of the required documents and wrote momma a step by step list of what she needed to do in order to be in Bali with me within the week!

The problem was that since it was Sunday now, she still had another whole day before the office would open and then processing would take even more time! Her whole trip was only booked for ten days and this whole mess was cutting into our already limited time together but I needed to stay positive.

I called the Canadian embassy again just to make sure I wasn't missing anything. I scraped the internet far and wide looking for a loop hole but couldn't find anything to help. I'd just have to wait and hope and pray.

Back in Hong Kong, mom had found her way and was close to meeting the lovely lady who was patiently waiting for her at the subway station!

She posted this picture (below) of her first interaction with the busy streets! Coming from a small town, this was a big change for her and quite intimidating being alone, trying to find the woman we had set her up with!

With technology coming through for her, she ended up meeting the lovely, sweet local woman on the streets of Hong Kong. According to my mom, the dearest woman looked at her and embraced her, giving her a sweet, comforting hug which according to momma was "like medicine, reviving me" and with that, she had new strength and a renewed drive to find her way to me!

Having someone there, when you're going through something so traumatic can be enough to turn the skies around. In this case, it was enough to propel momma to keep fighting to get to Bali so we could be together for the last time in who knows how long!

This lady was an angel, she took one look at momma and said some magic words:

"You must be hungry, let's get you some food!"

Well, she must have been a mind reader because that is the surest way to my mom's heart (her stomach- must be in the gene pool since you know I am the same way! ;) )

The two of them walked around a bit while her angel showed momma around the town. She said that it was a little bit out of the way from where she lived so she didn't come down into this area often but it was a nice treat to experience the bustling city life.

It was at lunch that changed momma's whole day from grey to sunshine-filled-happiness.

Beer.

That is the key with my momma. She loves her a good beer and beer can make her take on anything so this lovely lady, was one smart cookie (I will always be grateful for her wonderful rescue!)

After the beer things didn't seem so bad. Now momma had a friend as they browsed the streets, window shopped, laughed and had a merry little time while this wonderwoman gave momma a cultural experience I would have never been able to best!

The really amazing part about this is how this woman who was getting nothing in return for her kindness, was so lovingly open and generous. She took her time to come help a foreigner in distress out of the sheer goodness of her heart, never wanting anything as a reward. Apparently this is common in Chinese culture, something we don't necessarily come face to face with in the Western world where it's often monetized or give and get for relationships or experiences such as this. Mom said the gentle altruism exuding from this woman was inspiring and gave her a new perspective on the once so distant, misunderstood and previously unknown culture.

By the time they had finishing frolicking the streets of HK, momma had learned to use public transportation and was grinning from ear to ear by the time she got back to the hotel in search of some much needed R&R.

Luckily the fancy-smancy exec sweet had a comfortable bed for momma to get some sleep in. She crawled into bed as soon as she got back from her date in the city with only a quick couple of messages telling me she was feeling much better now that she knew someone safe was close by.

I felt so much better knowing that she was able to rest in safety and comfort and could not wait for her meeting with the consulate in the morning! I was hoping that all would be OK and that she would be approved and on her way, fast tracked to see me within the next few days max.

All we could do was hope!

• Is momma finally get to Bali?
• Do I get to give her the beautiful flowers I bought her and cook the delicious food I had bought special for her?
• Does HK give momma her emergency visa?
• What the heck am I doing while all this is going on?

I'll keep it all coming as I continue to tell you momma's most fantastical travel journey! I spoke to her to make sure I got the story accurate and will be sharing with you her message to me coming up!

This ended up being a small mistake that cost way more than we had anticipated! Always make sure to check your travel documents over before boarding as the airlines often make faults like this, leaving the expenses on your shoulders!