I panicked/it was so terrifying

[keannu]

I had a big happening while on a business trip. I went to Gimpo airport to take a plane as usual. At the check-in counter, I found I hadn't brought my passport. I panicked/it was so terrifying, but I remembered I could get a temporary passport at the airport public service office.

Are the underlined parts correct?

 

[Tarheel]

No, "but happening" doesn't work. Maybe you could say: "Something rather upsetting happened to me."

Next, say:

At the check-in counter I discovered I had forgotten my passport.

Next say

I panicked for a minute or so, but then I remembered I could get a temporary passport at the airport public service office.

 

[keannu]

No, "but happening" doesn't work. Maybe you could say: "Something rather upsetting happened to me."

Next, say:

At the check-in counter I discovered I had forgotten my passport.

Next say

I panicked for a minute or so, but then I remembered I could get a temporary passport at the airport public service office.

"happening" is a weird event, so I don't know why it doesn't work here.

 

[Tarheel]

As far as I know, nobody ever says, "I had a big happening".
:roll:

 

[keannu]

As far as I know, nobody ever says, "I had a big happening".
:roll:

What about "I had a/some embarrassing happening"?

 

[tedmc]

How about:

I had to face a difficult situation (bummer) on a recent business trip due to my own making - I forgot to bring my passport to the Gimpo airport!

As Tarheel said, it is unnatural to describe the happening as a "happening".

 

[Tarheel]

I'm sorry I wasn't clearer. It was a "thing" all long time ago to call something unusual or memorable a "happening" but that passed. Nobody calls something that happened to them a happening. They just describe it.

 

[emsr2d2]

"happening" in the sense you quoted is used in things like "There have been a lot of weird happenings in the town recently". We don't have a happening.