It sounds like a Hallmark Christmas movie: stranded in an airport after their flight was cancelled, two boys and two girls decide to drive 20 hours across the country to get home for Christmas.
But that is exactly the scenario that played out for Bridget Schuster, Greg Henry, Abby Radcliffe and Shobi Maynard when their travel plans were thwarted on December 22nd by the brutal winter storm that ravaged America.
The four teenagers found themselves stranded at Tampa International Airport and were dying to go home to Cleveland for Christmas.
Greg Henry, Abby Radcliffe, Shobi Maynard and Bridget Schuster drove 20 hours from Tampa to Cleveland to get home for Christmas after their December 22 flight was cancelled
Schuster documented the adventure on her TikTok account, where the group quickly garnered fans
After standing around for a few hours, the four decided to rent a car and drive the 20 hours together.
What started as a gesture of goodwill and teamwork turned into a fun road trip.
In true Gen Z style, they shared it all on TikTok, racking up millions of views as they traveled through gas stations and rest stops, snow storms and downpours before returning to Ohio in time for Christmas Eve.
The drama began at 6 p.m. Thursday when the flight was cancelled.
“The earliest they could get us out was 6pm on December 24th
The group shared the driving and quickly became friends. Her TikTok followers asked for introductions along the way
Instead of putting on their headphones to listen to shows or music, the group spent the entire trip getting to know each other
“And of course we all wanted to go back there much sooner,” Bridget Schuster told WFLA.
“In my head I think, I already know there will be no more flights today. Especially after Cleveland, especially knowing there’s a storm coming,’ Henry added.
He rented the car – and asked the others to join him.
“Since we’re all just talking, I think with some we just said, ‘Yes, we’ll do it.
The only stops they made were gas, food and people to use the toilet. Snow angel at the top with a two-hour drive to go
Home in time for Christmas! The team returned at 8:45 a.m. on December 24. Now they want to keep in touch
“And we just looked at each other and were like, ‘Are you in?’ ‘Yes, we’re in. Here we go,” added Abby Radcliffe.
Schuster shared updates of the road trip on her TikTok account, where friends and concerned strangers asked if “serial killers” were on board.
By the end of the journey, her original video from the beginning of the journey had garnered 13 million views.
Now the four want to keep in touch.
“We got into a very deep, deep conversation about our lives and what we’ve been through. It’s like we’re just those people, but it’s like we literally just had that connection from the start,” Maynard said.
“I had no idea when I was going to start doing this – I just wanted to take a smooth ride home, come home, be done.
“It was quite an adventure,” Henry added.