I love it when a plan doesn’t come together.

Yup. You read that right.

When something isn’t going according to plan, I know it means there’s a better plan. I just haven’t thought of it yet.

So it was with the recent WOW! Travel Club event in Ephesus.

The chronology: We’d chartered a large yacht (the luxurious 88-passenger Tera Moana) for a week-long cruise through Turkey and the Greek Isles. On the second-to-the-last day, we’d call at Kusadasi … allowing for a shore excursion to ancient Ephesus. This city – now an archeologist’s dream of well-preserved ruins, was second in size and importance only to Rome back in the heyday of the Roman Empire. It was a thriving, prosperous seaport, with a huge library and medical school. Hundreds of years of silting and a few devastating earthquakes precipitated its decline. Today, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular attraction for millions of visitors every year.

With the expert advice of the Captain of the Tere Moana, we customized our itinerary to schedule our arrival late on Wednesday so we would arrive in Ephesus after the crowds had left for the day. And then we would amaze our guests with an over-the-top surprise – the biggest “wow” of the week.

I’d collaborated and confirmed the on-shore arrangements with my agent in Istanbul. I paid a hefty rental fee to secure the impressive facade of the Celsus Library (circa 120 AD) for Thursday night. I was finalizing catering options, entertainment, transportation, and tour guides.

It was a perfect plan. I could already hear the “wows!”

There was one itty-bitty problem. (Did you catch it?)

The ship would be there on Wednesday.

Oops.

Recognizing my mistake, I immediately contacted my agent to change the booking. I learned that the Celsus Library venue was already booked on Wednesday – for Crystal Cruises. Oh no!!! My group would walk through the ruins of Ephesus only to see a gorgeous dinner set-up that wasn’t for them. Dammit!

The good news: I had several weeks to figure out an alternate plan. The bad news: nothing was going to be as impressive as my original plan.

I won’t bore you with details of my mental and creative process except to say that it wasn’t until I let go of my attachment to Plan A that an even better plan revealed itself. A good reminder that everything falls into place if one allows for flexibility and fresh thinking.

So here’s what ultimately did happen on that night:

We arrived at the Ephesus site just before the 7 pm closure, so the last tourists were exiting as we arrived. The skies were threatening, but we had ponchos on hand – just in case. First stop was the Grand Theatre which seated 25,000 people for concerts, plays and gladiator fights.

We continued along Marble Street, trying to imagine what it was like centuries ago when it would have been bustling with arcades and decorated with statues. Arriving at the magnificent Library of Celsus, tables and chairs were set for dinner and a string quartet was tuning up in front of the imposing two-story facade. A perfect “WOW” surprise … except it wasn’t our event. I instructed our tour guides to mention that this would have been a WOW experience, if it hadn’t already been reserved by Crystal Cruises.

Damn those big ships!

(My psychology? Deflect their expectation and dissuade their obvious disappointment with a logical explanation.)

After this, Marble Street took a turn and became the Street of the Curetes, where two Roman Centurions stood guard. After convincing them to let us pass, we continued past the extensive public baths, a brothel, and other impressive structures on this street studded with ancient marble columns. It’s estimated that only 20% of the city has been uncovered.

Along the way, we were joined by Roman Senators attired in white togas. If I couldn’t wow my guests with an event at the Celsus Library, at least we’d add some pizazz to the experience. The photo ops were great!

The last structure before the exit was another amphitheatre which once served as the Council Chamber and a performance venue for 1,400 spectators. As my unsuspecting guests followed the Senators into the building . . . BAM!

A 10-piece chamber orchestra – clad in tuxedos – was playing. Pillows were scattered on the lower tier of original marble benches, providing a comfy seat as guests wordlessly (except for the inevitable exclamation, “wow!”) took a seat in the 2,000-year-old theatre for our private concert.

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These are the moments I live for. Months of envisioning and sweating the details came down to this moment. I couldn’t sit still. I climbed to the top of the theatre to capture a photo of the sunset and looked down with pride on my masterpiece. The group of young musicians from the nearby city of Izmir were awe-struck at the opportunity to perform the classic in such a magnificent venue.

Could it get any better than this? And then the tenor came out! Everyone sat in rapt attention as couples held hands and inched their pillows a little closer together. My husband, Scott, who never complains about the countless hours I spend at the office agonizing over stuff like this, put his arms around me and whispered, “good job!”

Wow!

The closing song was unforgettable. One of our guests had sweetly asked me days earlier if we could, “do a cake or something,” to celebrate his wife’s birthday, “because she didn’t like to make a big deal about it.” When the orchestra stuck up, “Happy birthday,” Margaret broke into tears. Their dear friend, George-Anne, for whom this was her first significant vacation since the tragic loss of her husband and son, was sobbing, too. Everyone in the amphitheatre was overcome with emotion.

It truly was a “wow” moment for the ages!

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But there’s one more thing . . .

The next day, I was speaking with George-Ann who told me a story that still gives me chills. She explained that she sometimes feels the presence of her deceased husband and son around her. Inevitably, at those times, she notices a Red-Tailed Hawk hovering nearby. During the previous night’s music concert she was reminiscing how much she and her husband had loved to dance. She had a fleeting thought, “I wonder if they have Red-Tailed Hawks in Turkey?” At that very moment, the orchestra started to play the Tango song that had been their favorite – and to which they had danced in a private lesson three days before he died.

Wow . . . . .

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