A Time For Change

Several years ago I found myself in a job I hated and absolutely miserable. I cried everyday on my drive home from work, I was actually contemplating serious surgery so I wouldn’t have to work in that environment. This job literally almost killed me, I suffered heat stroke on 4th of July, I left work in an ambulance. Four bags of fluids and other cocktails of drugs they sent me home, with a you are very lucky warning. It wiped me out for over two weeks, to this day the heat bothers me. I never received one call or text from my superiors. My coworkers all checked in on me, my direct superiors, crickets. My boss finally reached out to me almost two weeks after the incident, not to see how I was feeling but when I was coming back to work. I know what everyone is thinking why stay? I was the breadwinner and the keeper of the health insurance, you will put up with a lot when your family depends on it. I am very lucky because Jeff received a job offer from the school system the day before I returned to work, so I was able to put in my two week notice. There was no fanfare I was leaving, no party, I got a card from my team. I walked around the last two weeks feeling very alone, nobody above me talked to me, I was invisible. I sucked it up and came to work and went home. There were no tears, I actually remember skipping to my car feeling free.

I moved on to a temporary position working as a concierge for a third party. I quickly showed the hotel, I wasn’t the normal concierge who sat at their desk, I knew hotels. I did everything, I answered phones calls, I played MOD once because a person was so mad at the MOD, I stepped in and handled the situation, I cleaned rooms, I inspected rooms. I was part of their team even though I didn’t work for the hotel. This position was always meant to be temporary, I figured six months at the most. I found myself loving it more and more, so I stopped looking because I was happy. I did want to work for a hotel again because it is the only way you can apply for Les Clef d’Or. The opportunity came about a year later, so I found myself at a crossroads, do I stay or do I go to another hotel. I chose the latter because I worked with the whole opening team and I enjoyed working with them. When I left the hotel, they did a small party and gave me a wonderful picture that everyone signed, I was so taken back by how much I meant to them.

I moved to the new hotel, brand new I was part of the opening team. We opened and like most properties you lose people immediately. For us it was our Director of Front Office, it was a huge blow, we slowly overcame it. There was more turnovers, then we finally hit a groove because we were busy. Once again more changes after loosing some key members and others stepped up. I tried to help as much as possible, however when people don’t know your background it is difficult. I offered on numerous occasions to help, crickets. I have done numerous MOD shifts over the years, I could lend a hand. I finally came to grips with they want me to step all the way up to a front office manager or stay in my lane. I chose to stay in my lane, I had finally found a work/life balance and I wasn’t giving that up. Our General Manager decided to take another position in November. I was very sad to see him go, but that is life in the hotel world. I wasn’t even looking when one of my coworkers convinced me to apply. I figured why not, I went on the interview and a couple days later I found out I got it. It was a huge shock to me and I knew it was going to be tough, leaving a place where I built the concierge desk from the ground up (I built the table and cabinets with a little help – the table was a nightmare). The team is incredible and we have fun together. I told my coworkers I didn’t want anything big. I am happy my coworkers didn’t listen to me and threw me a great Traitor Brunch Party. I will be forever grateful to them, they are wonderful people and I will miss them terribly.

Why write this and talk about the past? A friend of mine said I change jobs a lot. The past 3 years I would agree, honestly I probably would not have even brought me in for an interview. Things happen for a reason, as one of my coworkers told me yesterday as I was crying on her shoulder, “God doesn’t remove you from a place unless he wants to protect you from your own actions.” She is right, I have a tendency to speak my mind a little too much and it would have gotten me in trouble. This next step is a blessing and I see it as one. Change is necessary for us to grow, every experience is a new adventure. This adventure is going to be amazing and I am thrilled to be apart of it.