Itchy Travel Feet
In the month of May, I frequently get itchy travel feet. It’s ironic, really. All my life, I’ve been dragged from one place to another moved around. We never lived in one place for longer than four years until high school, when my father went to his military assignment early and let me finish in order to graduate. More than anything, I wanted an answer to the question, “Where’s your home town?” For the longest time, I would shake my head and respond, “When?” I’ve lived in Thailand, Georgia, Maine, Germany, England, Virginia, Indiana, back to Germany, and back to Virginia again.
When I married my husband, I prayed we would settle down and I’d finally have a home town. I do, here in Yorktown. But strangely enough, the longer I’ve lived here, the more I want to travel. As I’ve grown, I find it exciting to go to new places.
One of my part time jobs is a hotel mystery shopper. I pretend to be a guest and evaluate the staff. Through that job, I have the luxury of picking and choosing where I want to travel. Lately, I’ve signed up to go to a few places (though they haven’t told me whether I’ll get the assignments or not). It’s exciting, even going somewhere for a day. My favorite assignment was a resort in San Destin, Florida, for a week (where I had to go play golf and get a massage).:hissyfit: Oh, the suffering. 
Another favorite was the Marriott hotel in Amsterdam, Netherlands. We used that one to help pay my airfare overseas where the hubby and I enjoyed a second honeymoon.
The downside of mystery shopping? You will never again eat dinner in a restaurant without being conscious of how often the staff come to your table. You’ll wait for them to come back at particular intervals, and you’ll be aware of when something’s gone wrong. But the best side to “shopping” a hotel is knowing how everything works. If you need an extra coffee packet in the morning–you know you can call Housekeeping. Or if your door doesn’t lock properly, you call Maintenance. And the best part is, you get to visit new places and perhaps meet up with friends along the way. It’s exciting. This is the company I work for. You can also sign up to evaluate grocery stores, banks, bowling alleys–it’s really fun. I don’t think you could do it full time as a career. You only make a limited fee. But for some folks, it’s perfect. My mom can take my dad out for breakfast and someone else pays for it. What’s not to like?
I’m getting excited about Atlanta for the National Romance Writer’s Conference. I can’t wait to meet up with other writing buddies as well as grovel before meet editors and agents. I may have to go shopping for some conference clothes. Fun, fun.
So what’s the coolest job you’ve ever had? What did you like best about it?
Michelle posted in Writing @ 4:52 pm | Viewed 3420 times
Tori Lennox Says:
“Where’s your home town?” For the longest time, I would shake my head and respond, “When?”
Hey! That was always my response when people would ask me that question. We never lived in all those exotic places, though. I started telling people we were gypsies.
The coolest job I’ve ever had? Hmm. The job itself wasn’t that cool, but I did have a cool title once. Asset Administrator. Sounds a lot more glamorous than it really was.
Rene Says:
I’ve never had a cool job in my life. I did work at a bakery when I was in college and I got to eat pastries. I also got to take up cakes that had been in the case too long.
April Says:
Thanks for sharing the link!
I have a friend who was a military brat too and she’s getting the travel bug bad.
I love the job I have now. I work in real estate. I have flexible hours and I enjoy what I do.
Plus, I can make time for writing!
Peggy Says:
The coolest job I’ve had was at the Stratford Festival’s Theatre Book Shop. The world came to me. Loved meeting people from all over the world. Got free tickets to performances and discounted prices on books and movies.
Kelly Says:
I’m DYING to travel. The jaunt to Reno last year barely put a dent in my travel lust. I’ve pretty much decided next year I’m going to London. I’ll probably be traveling alone, but I don’t care. I need to get moving. I just want to go. Which is funny because up until about 3 years ago, the idea of moving away from NS was as appalling as voluntary root canal, but now, I just want to leave, to see the world, to be a vagabond. Preferably with hot lawyer guy in tow, but we’ll have to wait and see on that…
As for favorite job - I’d have to say writing, even though as a job it isn’t paying me much of a salary as yet. Every other job, while far from heinous, has really just been a means to an end.
beth Says:
Honestly, the best job I ever had was being a TA in grad school. I got to do the parts of teaching that I really enjoy (lesson prep, teaching, grading and help with homework) and didn’t have to deal with the bureaucratic BS that wore me down so fast when I was teaching full time not as a grad student. Plus, I was a grad student - so my job was like 10 hours a week at most - and the rest was spent (well ok, doing homework) hanging out with my hubby.
Of course, the downside was that going to Taco Bell and sharing a value meal was a big night out as far as finances went.
Stacy Says:
I was a children’s photographer for a number of years and I loved working with the kids–it was the parents I had problems with LOL.
Melissa Mc Says:
Coolest job is writing. Though when I got to do flight tests at UAL, that was pretty cool, too.
Fiona Lowe Says:
Michelle, I work to travel ! My parents moved for work and we always had travelling holidays. My husband had a similar experience and in our very first conversation we decided we would go to Europe together for a year. And we did, five years later. We’ve seen a lot of the world and I totally understand the itchy feet. Hey, we went from never moving to being packed and on a plane US BOUND in the space of three weeks. And for the 2.5 years we lived in Madison Wisconsin, I think we managed to visit 25 states! Now I say….oh we have to go to X cos I can set a book there!
Melissa Says:
I would LOVE to do the mystery shopping at a hotel job! Wow. That would be great.
Hmm…coolest job…well, I did work at a library. I could sit and read for hours on end.
Then there was working at my cousin’s pizza place, but I wouldn’t really call that “cool” - just busy.
I did work at a baseball concession stand for one summer - that was fun.
And then there was the summer I was a waitress at a historic park.
Emma Sinclair Says:
I guess writing is the coolest job ever simply because I get to work in my jammies.
I both love and hate to travel. I hate when I have to be on someone elses time table and it always seems like when we take a vacation, we try to cram so much in that I need time to rest when we get home.
I think if I could actually afford to travel the way I WANT to travle, it would be bliss!!
Amy K. Says:
Dairy Queen. Who can beat discounted ice cream?
Okay, writing’s cool too, but I’m pretty sure at this point Dairy Queen paid better.