The Wall Street Journal’s website reports that 6,000 flights were cancelled overnight as a result of Hurricane Irene. My flight from Puerto Vallarta back to Philadelphia was among them. Although Casa Velas is a gorgeous boutique hotel, being trapped in a tropical paradise is fraught with far more fear and loathing than I would have expected. The power and phone are out at my home in Pa., so I haven’t been able to contact my husband since late last night. I’ve heard from friends via Facebook that there was no significant flooding in that region, and I’m hoping everything is OK. One of the areas in Pa. that Irene hit hardest is where GT‘s world headquarters are located, so I have my fingers crossed that Fran and the gang are safe and sound. I was slated to fly out today. The flight was officially cancelled around 1:00 AM this morning. Imagine my despair when I learned at 2:00 AM that the next available flight out of Puerto Vallarta isn’t until WEDNESDAY! I’ve read that some cancelled flights can’t be rescheduled until next weekend, so I’ll count myself lucky. Casa Velas is a stunning property and possibly one of the nicest places in all of Mexico to be stranded. But the rainy season/extreme humidity here in Puerto Vallarta is wreaking havoc on my asthma, and today is especially wet, so I’ll probably hole up in the room and sulk, obsess and worry. I packed one extra outfit, but my trip here was only supposed to be three days, so now I’ll have to tap into all the amenities offered at Casa Velas. Who knows? Perhaps this experience will evolve into our magazine’s first 400-page GT Tested review! — Patty Mahlon, director of digital media