Archive for Career
Why You Should Never Again Have to Stay at a Airport Hotel.
Posted by: | CommentsIf you follow me on Twitter you will know that I LOVE to publicly complain about my travel hells. Travel is always hell for me because I have the WORST luck and I always have to connect in random airports and there are only about three flights a day that go from major airports to my home airport because I LIVE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.
Since apparently Twitter isn’t enough complaining for me I decided to also write a blog post about it. Actually I am mostly writing this blog post to tell you why you should never again have to stay at a airport hotel.
(Side note: Airport hotels are my worst nightmare.)
(Super Side note: The only airport hotel I have ever stayed in was in Detroit and the smoke alarms broke and went off every ten minutes. All. Night.)
Here is a quick recap of yesterdays travel experience:
-Arrive at La Guardia at 4:00 PM.
-Leave for Chicago at 8:00 PM.
-Flight attendant forces me to check my bag at the gate.
-I force flight attendant to promise me I won’t have to put my dress and tights back on at 6:00 AM if I get stranded in Chicago.
-I am then convinced into taking a middle seat because some couple just got engaged.
-I spent the entire flight hating said couple.
-Arrived at Chicago at 10:00 PM.
-Ran through the Chicago airport and JUST caught my flight.
-Flight backed up and got ready to take off.
-Pilot realized he had flown too many hours.
-We are forced off of the flight and told I can’t get home until 5:00 the next day.
-I tell them they are stupid and decide to take a train instead.
-They lost my bag and refuse to give me a hotel voucher.
This is where it gets helpful!
A couple of months ago I heard about this service called Hotel Tonight, an app that allows you to book rooms the same night at majorly discounted prices. When I heard about this app I thought it was the worst idea ever. Why would someone need to book a hotel room for the same night? Don’t people plan ahead?
Ahem.
So I download the app and start searching for a hotel room downtown so I can make my 7:00 AM train. I was able to find an AMAZING hotel for $80 in downtown Chicago, book it from my phone, show up and check-in without any problems. My suggestion for you is to download Hotel Tonight and use as needed. I was way impressed with the smoothness of the process.
I got to the hotel, checked in, slept four hours and then put my tights and dress back on to hop on the train home. As I was laying in fetal position across two train seats a creepy young man walked by and whispered “good night” as he was getting off the train.
I am never leaving my house again.
On Facing Your Fears.
Posted by: | CommentsI am scared of a lot of things.
Most notably I am scared of big crowds of people staring at me. Actually, if we are going to be honest here, they don’t even really have to be staring at me. If I walk into a big room full of people I will just assume they are staring at me and they must be talking about me and they must hate me and the next thing you know I am ordering a glass of wine and taking deep breaths while simultaneously hiding in the corner.
A while back I self-diagnosed myself with anxiety. I had to self-diagnose myself because once I went to the doctor to tell him how I was feeling and it went like this: “Things are going great! Life is wonderful, the sun is shining, the world is so fantastic. I love life!”
Well, not exactly that but you get the point. My doctor made me nervous so I basically made an appointment to tell him how wonderful my life is.
Why am I bringing all of this up?
A couple of weeks ago I spoke in front of a group of fifty or so people. I was PETRIFIED. Last summer I spoke at the 140 Conference in Des Moines and as soon as I walked in front of the crowd I felt panicked. I never posted about the experience because it was so terrible. I was THE worst public speaker ever. Just to show you I am going to link to the video I have never watched.
Where was I…
Oh yes, a few weeks ago I spoke in front of a crowd of fifty or so people. I was PETRIFIED. In fact, I spent the two weeks before my presentation telling everyone I know how there was no way I could get in front of these people. They were going to hate me and possibly throw tomatoes at me. Because I have good encouraging friends they kept telling me how great I was going to be and giving me tips. (except for one of them who had bets going that I was going to be in fetal position under a table)
I spent about a month practicing and imagining myself standing in front of everyone. I arrived early and spent the hour drive to the event repeating to myself everything I was great at and recalling all of the moments in my life that I felt like a total rock-star. I talked to people as they came in and learned that the crowd of people I was speaking to was SO. NICE. I did my thing and got through my presentation in the perfect amount of time. Everyone was so kind and I didn’t for a second feel panicked or consider crawling under a table and hiding. (Ok, maybe for a second but then that moment was over)
After my presentation I received three more speaking opportunities from people who were at the event. Three! Which can only mean one thing…they really liked me!
The point of this post is to face your fears.
Whatever you want to do that you are to scared to do? I am giving you permission to do it. Go. What is the worst that could happen?
Also? my dear friend and mentor Alli posted about mentoring me over at Babble.
