Home Sweet Home

Previously I flew about 35kmiles a year, just enough for it to get old but not enough for it to help 'qualify' me to any elite flight status.  Yesterday solidified one of the few benefits to flying upwards of 50k-75k miles a year.  Status.  I could have used some status yesterday.

Prior to getting pregnant I was that person who would roll my eyes and pray I remembered my noise canceling headphones on any trip.  Not for the noise of the plane, while that was nice, but rather for the noise of the little rugrats that found it their duty to scream the entire flight.  I would never say anything, that would be rude.  I just used to ask myself why would you fly with an infant. 

Now that I have Lizzy and we are contemplating how to get back to Minnesota to visit family, I find myself in that exact situation.  Again, this is one of those times where as a mom, I will eat my words.  I will end up flying with an infant.  I am crazy. 

Back to my story as it relates to last night though.  The flight from Omaha to Denver was smooth, non eventful and had the cutest little man on it.  I ran into the mom and baby in the restroom and asked her the normal mom questions (How old?  Name?).  I then complimented on how well behaved and happy he was.  That she had inspired me that I could do it with my little girl.  What a sweet boy!   Fast forward two hours and I am now on a flight home (finally) and I have the exact opposite situation.  One pissed off little guy.  He was probably about a year old and he was livid.  Although as a mom I recognized immediately that he was pissed because he was in pain, it still did not make the first hour of the flight any more enjoyable.  The entire take-off until we leveled out was ear piercing.  Poor kid.  Poor me, if only I had status.

I am now home and don't need to travel for about two weeks.  Incredible to believe that it is almost Thanksgiving and the Christmas holiday is right around the corner.  It is not the most enjoyable time to be flying but it can be gorgeous depending on the destination.  Cheers to everyone having a wonderful weekend and for me to get some sleep!     

Element.

Need I say more. 

If you have ever stayed at one of the nine Element by Westin hotels you definitely understand. 

It has been a long week, and it's only Wednesday.  Needless to say I am exhausted from my ongoing flight schedule and product preview meetings.  It is now almost 11pm in Omaha Nebraska and I am taking the time, rather than sleeping, to tell you about this amazing hotel. 

Let's back up a wee bit.  This week so far has been Seattle-Philadelphia, Philadelphia-Rochester, Rochester-Philadelphia, Philadelphia-Manchester, Manchester-Chicago, Chicago-Omaha.  Over that time I have stayed at a aLoft and a Four Points.  I adore aLoft until I need to eat dinner.  Their w xyz bar is good for a drink but not for food.  If I wanted their springs rolls or buffalo wings I'd just go to Costco and bring them with me on my trip.  Four Points was nice but to be honest I now prefer the W.  I never used to be a Starwood gal but with my company it is almost a must. 

Okay back to the point.  Element.  THE most amazing hotel I've stayed at in a long time.  Element just opened in good ole Omaha, NE last week.  There are nine total and somehow Omaha got one ... I was going to write about the amazing floors, the fact that each room is a full on studio complete with fridge, dishwasher, stove top and kitchen sink,  or that the desk chair is heavenly ... but after twenty minutes on the phone with my hubbie, I need to go to bed!  So in short, be sure to check and see if there is an Element next time you travel and stay there!  FYI for you tree huggers out there, Element is a completely green hotel.

Oh ... did I mention these rooms have a dishwasher!?!  As a gadget/tool gal this is a saving grace for my gadgets I've been demo'ing all week.  Garlic, banana and cherry gunk ... be gone!  Woohoo! 

Goodnight from corn husker region!

I hit the perverbial wall.



Seward, AK



Currently getting my eat/drink on at the w xyz bar in the aLoft Philadelphia.  A five hour flight behind me, I now sit feeling almost back to my well- adjusted self.  Last night at 8pm it was a much different story.  Sometimes I think we as mothers are harder on ourselves then anyone else ever would/should be.  Last night was one of those moments. 

Anyone who knows me or has read this blog knows I love my job.  I also love to travel.  Although it gets old once in awhile it is still a passion.  I enjoy visiting new cities and seeing new places.  Whether it is visiting a museum in Atlanta or going deep sea fishing in Alaska I try to do/see as much as possible in the short time that I am at each location.  I've never had anyone to race home to.  Sure there is my husband but his lack of wanting to see/do/try new things has resulted in a general understanding that if I have an opportunity I should take advantage of it.  Chances are he has no interest in doing/going/seeing said event.  Case in point, he has no interest in Europe.  None.  Not even when I say we can do an entire beer themed trip (Germany, England and Ireland).  Nothing.  None.  Zilch.  Zero.

Here in lies my new found dilemma.  I now have a princess to get home too.  At 8pm last night it hit me.  Like a small European sports car running full throttle into a moving freight train hit me.  I do not want to leave.  I do not want dad or grandma or daycare to take care of her for the next five days.  I do not want to miss what might be her first scoot or her first tooth.  Do not mistake this sudden twinge of guilt for wanting to stay home full time.  I'd go nuts.  Having a child now ... I realize that.  I'd go literally bananas.  But for the first time in probably two years I felt guilty.  I felt guilty for leaving, for working, for wanting to provide endless opportunities to my child. 

I told myself over and over, she has no clue that I am gone.  She won't even realize that I left for five days.  I'll come home Thursday and she'll be thrilled to see me.  Ben even stepped up and reassured me that all would fine.  I am pretty sure it isn't a matter of being fine or that I'm worried he cannot handle her.  I'm simply going to miss her.  I'm simply going to miss taking her to daycare.  I'm simply going to miss spending the evening getting her fed, bathed and ready for bed.  But will I survive, yes.  Did I pull it together, of course.  After my literally seven minute depression episode, I sucked it up and moved on.  This mom does not have time to feel guilty.  This mom chooses to work and chooses to travel.  After all it is a choice, a choice I've made, a choice I'm sticking with.