The clouds of the honeymoon are slowly falling away and making room for the clear skies of cooler weather.
I have just returned from a two-week honeymoon in Europe, where I had the best possible vacation a newlywed could want. Champagne. Pistachio Gelato. Empty streets that open up into crowded plazas. Fresh pasta overlooking the Ionian Sea. Nights lit up by the casinos and luxury hotels of Monaco. It was amazing.
All of that only makes my return back to normalcy all the more humbling. We had a ten hour flight from Amsterdam (we flew there from Venice) to Orlando, during which we experienced constant turbulence and a light that I didn’t know how to turn off for the majority of the time in the air. By the time we landed I was overwhelmed with nausea and a splitting headache. I pride myself on the fact that I kept my cool in the Uber home, and waited until I got upstairs to vomit everything I had consumed during the in-flight meal.
Aaron wasn’t doing much better either. When packing the night before, he stubbed his toe on the wheel of his suitcase, and had been experiencing knee pain the whole trip. On top of that, he was coming down with a cold! Come Monday morning, we were two weak and physically frail young adults who had to throw on the coffee and go back to work.
Aaron had a pleasant comeback to work, providing a high quality report to his supervisors despite knowing he was ill. While my coworkers were all happy to see me (they are truly the best part about my job), I spent the first three days back at work dealing with cranky people making request after request during a time when everything is shutting down for the winter. Things were so quiet when I left for my honeymoon. Why couldn’t it have stayed that way one more week?
My trip really made me reflect on my life where it is now, and where I want it to be. You know how they say the little things make a big difference? That applies in all aspects of life, but it felt doubly so in the hotels we stayed at during the trip:
- The Majestic Palace was located ten minutes from Las Ramblas in Barcelona. We had a private terrace, a shower with an overhead nozzle, and a bidet. A BIDET. Aaron and I decided to take a power nap before heading out into the city, and it was awakened an hour later by a staff member bringing us a “Congratulations and welcome” slice of cake! Cake!
- The Londra Palace was a six minute walk from San Marco Square in Venice. Turndown service! ANOTHER bidet! Top it all off, there was a bathtub with an ADDITIONAL NOZZLE. An IDEAL situation for taking a bath and getting an effective hair wash out of the deal.
Both hotels had baggage handlers, a piano bar, and the most incredible “breakfast is included” experience.
Top it all off with the fact that we were on a cruise in between those hotels, where the majority of the other passengers were all retirees who had the means and the time to just go wherever they want.
The more I paid attention to the little things that prove the extra mile, the the things that make the nice parts even nicer, I kept thinking to myself: my life has got to be like this. Forever.
I’ve learned a lot at this job, from a creative perspective. I’ve increased my endurance for problem solving, and I’m willing to go the extra mile to get something done quicker. When I started, I was scared of talking to people on the phone. Nearly two years later, I do this every day at work, but I don’t like it. Why should I do something I don’t like every day? With the life I want and the bills I still have, now is the time for me to really forge ahead and get a more substantial position within NBC.
It helps that I have a one-on-one meeting with my supervisor in a week, with a year-end self-evaluation due a week after that. I told myself I was going to wait until after the craziness of the wedding and the honeymoon was done. Thank-you notes aside, that time has come. I’m ready to go… all the way up to the top!