Christmas Time!!!

Since it's Christmas time and all, I've been listening to Christmas carols basically nonstop (at work on the radio online, in the car, at home with my 4-ft Christmas tree lit up). I've realized something very interesting when I listen to Christmas carols. From playing viola in orchestras, viola groups, and string trios (shoutout to the Lylac String Trio!) I've always played Christmas songs. Playing viola means almost definitively playing the harmony in a song.

I noticed that in listening to Christmas carols, I am unusually aware of the harmony that plays in what others might just think of as the "background". I can recognize the parts that I used to play in each song, and I almost find myself paying more attention to those parts rather than the melody itself. The layers are much more apparent for me, having experienced them first hand. I feel that I am able to appreciate the complexity of the songs more so than someone just listening on the surface. This is something that I am thankful for. My years playing music are certainly a blessing in my life, and I like to see that I am still seeing the benefits of that hard work.

I hope that the next time you listen to a Christmas carol you will take the time to appreciate the many layers that make up these songs that we know and love. I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The Last Tenth of a Mile

I ran my first 5k in a long time last Saturday. I had been wanting to run a race for a while - the last 5k I ran, I injured my foot 2 weeks before, so I was really only able to run the first 2 miles at any sort of good pace. I've been trying to run at least a couple of times a week, in addition to my regular workouts. Sometimes if I'm in the zone I'll run three miles straight; sometimes I'll run some, walk some, jog some. It just depends on the day. Needless to say, I was still a little nervous Saturday morning - so much so that I woke up at 2am and started to get ready for the race, only to realize that it was 2am...

I got to the race site at about 7:30am. It was a fairly small crowd: probably only a couple hundred people there, and only some of those were actually running. (The event also had a 5k walk and a couple of other "just for fun" events.) Being a pretty small event, the chips only counted your time crossing the finish line, so to get an accurate count you had to have started right at the start line (written in chalk). You could tell who the serious runners were - the guy with his high tech gear and gps timer, stretching on the side, and the ladies jogging around the parking lot to warm up. I did my stretches and walked a couple of laps by the start of the race, and started to get pumped up.

When the race started and I heard the gunshot, I suddenly started to get really nervous, but all of a sudden I was running! For the first minute or so I had this anxious feeling in my stomach that I was going to wimp out and quit running. After what seemed like the longest mile ever, I saw the sign that said "1 mile". Without a watch or timer, I had no idea what my time was like, so I just kept going. The terrain kept changing - road, dirt, gravel, through the woods - and it took a lot more concentration than my usual one mile loops around the pond on the bike path. I started to get a little tired, but I knew I would be mad at myself if I stopped halfway through. Seeing the families stationed around the course for motivation really did help! The other thing keeping me going was watching the two sets of dads and kids a little bit ahead of me. If they could do it, I certainly could!

Finally nearing the end, I saw the 3 mile sign. I was already planning to sprint the last 0.1 mile, and it felt awesome. When I saw the finish, I honestly felt like I was floating across the path. Although initially I wasn't thrilled with my time, I realized that I still hit a personal best - and the biggest accomplishment for me was knowing that I didn't give up. There were a lot of excuses I could have given for not even showing up: I hadn't preregistered, I was going by myself, I had just finished a long week at work, etc. But I am SO glad that I took the leap to go. It has given me the motivation to continue running, and has set the bar for me for future races. There is no feeling like the accomplishment of completing a race. The most surprising thing about this race was that I actually placed first in my age division, which I didn't find out until looking at the results online today! Even though it was a small race, that is a huge accomplishment for me. I would have been happy regardless, but that just goes to show you what can happen if you just go out and do something! You never know what might happen!!

Good Old Friends

It is really nice to know that some friendships really are deep enough to endure one person moving away. Having been that person that moved away myself, it was always a concern of mine that I would inevitably lose some of those friends and acquaintances that I had worked so hard to nurture during college. These past few weeks have reminded me that there are those fantastic friendships where you can be apart for a long time, and when you are together again it is as if nothing has changed. You still have that strong connection that allows you to talk and laugh the same as you would before. The great thing about these friendships is also that you can keep that connection while also being able to adapt to the changes in either person's life. It is not as though you revert back to the person you were maybe a year or two ago, but you are able to keep up that friendship with your own growing life and personality.

This post has the potential to sound really sappy, but I obviously don't really care. Friendships have been so incredibly important for me, and I enjoy knowing that I really don't have to start completely over every time I move to a new place. I would like to think of it as adding to my friend base and life experiences instead of starting back at square one and wiping away everything from the past. Life builds upon itself, and that is what makes us all unique and wonderful.

Make it a great week!

Forget About Stress

It's amazing what can happen when you decide not to be stressed! For the past six months, ever since I moved to a new city, I've had this lingering feeling of stress. I recently read something that suggested forgetting about the word "stress". Instead of saying that something is "stressful", label it as "challenging" or another fitting adjective. I think our generation, and our contemporary world, is so involved in stress and stress management that it may be almost a self-fulfilling prophecy. Once I stopped thinking about my life as stressful, I started to feel more confident and happy. Go figure! I still have some long challenging days and difficult situations, but I don't like to think about it as stress anymore. I know that I can handle whatever comes my way, and that makes me so extremely confident about the future. (Example: The difficult client mentioned in the post "Things don't always go the way you plan..." has created even more issues this week. My solution? Deal with the issues I can handle, and make sure that the situation is communicated to everyone that is involved, so that him dragging his feet in providing information for us won't completely screw up the natural operations of each resort.)

As a side note, eliminating stress from our lives can have some serious health benefits. I feel healthier now than I have in weeks! Have a great evening, everyone!

Every Minute Counts

I was reminded today about how every minute really matters. It is interesting to think about how small decisions can cause a chain reaction of events in your life. In fact, the very time I arrived to, let's say, a meeting, could determine who I happened to meet and could shape the experiences to come. If I were to have waited just one more minute, the situation could have been completely different, and I could have missed out on what I hope will be some great opportunities in the future. This is just one small instance, but I think this is really true overall. You never know when such small decisions can have such a big impact on your life. I think about some of the odd circumstances when I have met the most important people in my life, and everything goes back to a small decision that seemed so insignificant at the time, but now seems to have risen in importance. Deciding to go to a meeting where I knew no one. Going to a recruitment event for a sorority. Loaning a pen to the girl sitting next to me. Talking to the guest speaker after class. Arriving early to a community service event. Meeting with a professor during office hours. Going out with a bunch of people I've never met. All of these things have led to great things in my life, and all of them involve doing something. Note to self: don't forget to do something small - it could become something amazing!

Things don't always go the way you plan...

...That's what I am slowly still learning. I think that is one of the downfalls of the "personal" aspect of hospitality. I've been experiencing a lot of difficulties the last few weeks with a client that just doesn't quite seem to get it. My hospitality mind wants to just make everything right and appease the client. Kind of the along the lines of "the customer is always right." However, working in sales now, as opposed to operations, I have a lot of other things to consider. There are binding contracts and  a lot more potential revenue is on the line. I've found myself torn between trying to smooth things over, but also standing my ground. There truly is a fine line between making the client happy and actually making money on the account. The challenge is to hopefully succeed in both, but, as I said earlier, things don't always go the way you plan.

The second point I have to make, though, is how important it is to just learn and move on. I am still extremely early in my career, and there will inevitably be many more difficult clients that I will have to deal with in the future. I'm sure that it will get easier as I move forward, because I plan on absorbing as much knowledge as I can from each difficulty. What I learned from this one:
1. Communication, communication, communication! Even when you think it's overkill, when dealing with a difficult account, the more the better.
2. Cover your bases. Back yourself up, and make sure you have people to back you up. (colleagues, boss, etc.)
3. Some people just don't know what they're doing, so try to figure this out early on. If they're new to your business, you may need to spell things out word by word. Don't assume they understand.
4. Don't let it get to you! Chances are that whatever the problem is: it's not your fault! Just move on!

Well, that's my wise words of wisdom for the day. Tomorrow's another day, and I'm going to make it a great one!

Don't Mess with Me!

Today I went to the grocery store right after working out at the gym. I was in the checkout line and the clerk scanned my rewards card on my key ring. She saw my pepper spray and asked me where she could get some. I suggested a couple of places and told her that I like having it as a precaution because self defense should never be overlooked, whether you live in a big city or not. When I reached into my gym bag to get my wallet the man in line behind me said "I'm not messing with her she's got boxing gloves in her bag!"
Yes.

Forgive the typos...

...I'm typing with a cut finger! Thats what I get for trying to cook dinner with dull knives. So I apologize in advance if my typing is off.

Today reminded me of how much I've changed over the past 4 years. Let me begin by saying that today has not been the most stellar day I've ever had in my life. Not that it was absolutely terrible, but a few things have just not gone right. (Slicing my finger is just one example of such things.) But I am reminded of how I probably would have handled today four years ago.

Four years ago I moved halfway across the country to go to college in a new state where I knew absolutely no one. [Sounds kind of familiar to my move last May to a new city where I know no one...] I remember getting to my dorm and feeling like I was at summer camp for at least the first few months of college. For the first couple of years, I did have difficulties adjusting to my new life and making new friends; I also had a very hard time dealing with stress. A day like today would have immobilized me four years ago. Over the years, I learned how to handle my stress on my own as well as with the help of my friends, my amazing boyfriend, my loving parents and sister, and many other great mentors along the way. The growth that I experienced made me able to recover from the bad things in life and move along to the next good thing.

Days like today I wish I still had a roommate. I've had some great roommates in the past, and it's always nice to at least see a friendly face coming home from a bad day. Shoutouts to all of my wonderful roomies in the past!

Cheers to a better day tomorrow!

An Oceanfront Wedding

So, I successfully coordinated my first wedding yesterday!! Things could not have gone better. After staying up practically all night going through the plans in my head, it went off without a hitch. The mother of the bride did a fantastic job in planning the decorations, and the whole place looked beautiful! They were also able to decorate on a budget, which I really respect. They purchased a plain white 3-tiered cake, and added the hand-placed flowers and monogram on their own. It looked great! (And smelled even better!)

Their centerpieces included these water crystals that expand in distilled water. We then put water-safe lights in the goblets with the crystals to make them light up. I don't think the pictures taken on my cell phone really do them justice.

Her ceremony was on our front lawn overlooking the ocean. It was a beautiful view and they had PERFECT weather. About an hour before the ceremony someone was standing out on the beach directly in front of the ceremony site playing the bagpipes - loudly. Although he was pretty good, the sound was not going to mesh so well with Cannon in D. Just a couple of minutes before I was going to nicely confront him to please move his performance elsewhere on the beach, he packed up and left. Thank goodness!

As I said earlier, my first wedding could not have gone any better. Before I left for the night, both the bride and the groom had asked me to come see them, which I did. I could tell they were genuinely happy, and they thanked me for everything and each gave me a big hug. That is what makes this job all worth it.

After yesterday and last night, I am ready to relax today!

Life on the Beach

Okay, so I know I don't live ON the beach, but I'm pretty close! I realized today how lucky I am that I get to see the ocean every day. After work I helped organize the rehearsal for the wedding I'll be coordinating tomorrow, which will be on our front lawn overlooking the beach and the ocean. I was pleasantly reminded of the beautiful place in which I live. It is so easy to forget that I live by the beach, and I think I sometimes take it for granted. Watching the waves is one of the most relaxing experiences, and I plan to try to take more time to enjoy the beach in the next few weeks. The fall air is so crisp, and the beaches are much less crowded with tourist season dying down. It's the perfect time to enjoy one of the many reasons why I choose to live here.

Cheers!

Box It Out

Here's a suggestion for anyone that has a stressful job: take up boxing! Even though I'm far from an expert, it is the best workout, and the best stress reliever. The satisfaction one gets from physically punching something can make even the worst day not feel that bad. I've been boxing for probably about two months and it is one of the best parts of my week. I don't even mind that I'm sure half the gym is laughing at my pink wraps and pink boxing gloves. I wouldn't have it any other way! My pink "gear" gives me a little femeninity for something that is very rugged. My trainer started teaching me how to dodge and take punches today. I don't know that I could necessarily hold my own in a fight right now, but maybe one day! It's good self defense.

The stress that I was combating today is from the upcoming wedding I'm coordinating. It's good stress, because I think it will be fun and rewarding, but it's stress nonetheless. Managing a wedding is slightly different from any other group that I manage. If something goes wrong with someone's vacation or business meeting, they'll probably forget about it. If something goes wrong with their wedding, they will remember it forever. That means twice [or three times] the prep work, and twice the stress.

Meeting with the couple today went very well. I can tell they have confidence in me, which helps my own self confidence. The best part about the meeting was at the very end. When I went in for a handshake with the bride, she extended her arms for a hug. That's why I'm in this business. It was a perfect example of how personal hospitality has to be. Especially when handling someone's wedding, this is an event in their life that they will never forget, and I will be proud to have been a part of it.

Off to enjoy the rest of my evening!

Oh How I Love Hospitality

Having recently moved to a new city where I know essentially no one, I decided it would be a perfect time to start blogging! This way I can share my thoughts, even if I don't have someone to actually talk to every day. Who knows if anyone will actually read this, but that's the joy of the internet, right? You can talk and talk and talk, and imagine people are listening, even if they aren't!

Working in the hospitality industry has always been a dream of mine. From the moment I realized that I could actually work in a hotel and get paid for it, I knew what I wanted to do with my life. In college, everyone always says "You'll definitely change your major at least 4 or 5 times." That was not the case for me, and I knew it wouldn't be. I know a lot of people come to college not quite knowing what they want to do, which I completely respect, but those comments always made me feel like I was strange or I was doing something wrong for not wanting to change my mind. Now, having worked in hospitality to some degree for over 5 years, I know that I was not wrong (even if I am a little strange). I go to work [almost] every day, loving my job, and I get great satisfaction out of the business of hospitality. People that aren't in the industry don't always understand that hospitality truly is a different animal. I read a quote once that said "In hospitality, all business is personal." That is the best way I can think of to describe it. Not only must you be business minded in this industry, but you must also be people minded.

People who know me recognize that I am somewhat of a hospitality management nerd. I read management and hotel books for fun, and I could talk about work for days. That's what happens when you're in this industry. It becomes your life. I'm okay with that, but some people that I've worked with or worked for have also reminded me that it is ultimately most important to sustain life outside of work. Although it's going to take time for me to do this in a new city, I am slowly but surely working at developing "a life".

Even though some days I wish I was back in my college town with my friends or in my hometown with my family, I am still glad that I took the leap to move two days after graduation to a new place where I know no one. Not everyone can say that, and I think I'm doing a pretty good job of making it work!

Until tomorrow, when I will inevitably be bored at home again!