Hilton Points

The Farmer will tell you he married me for my Hilton points.

Being a Hilton Diamond member has its benefits - who can deny free wi-fi, free snacks, and valet parking (select locations)? It also says you travel too much.

So when The Farmer and I can use some of my thousands of Hilton points it is exciting. And The Farmer can remind me that he married me for my free hotel stays.

While not very romantic, I like having a long list of things The Farmer loves about me. And if hotel bills equaling zero is on his list, I'll take it.

Fall in admission world is "Travel Season" and this fall I'll have some travel companions...The Herdsman is coming along for the ride! My mother - who has dubbed herself "Mary Poppins" - will complete the trio. And if I can tear The Farmer away from the island, I hope he'll join in on a few trips as well.

We introduced The Herdsman to the glamorous life of travel a few weeks ago. We went away for an evening for our anniversary - and stayed a whopping 30 miles from home at the Astoria Hampton Inn.

And look at the room we got!

The Farmall tractor room!

The Farmer has a Farmall tractor. The Farmer has a Farmall tractor hat. He didn't bring either on this trip. He also didn't want his picture taken with the room number sign...something about he doesn't need a photo with the photo of a tractor he already owns, or something like that.

While I was excited about the room number sign, The Farmer and The Herdsman were very excited about free HBO.

The Herdsman was also excited about the big bed.

And this photo...taken at 5:00 am...required me to remind The Herdsman that having a party in a hotel room is an easy way to get kicked out of a hotel and should be reserved for college.

Here's to your first night in what will be many nights of hotel living, my little travel partner! 

Your mama is a Hilton Diamond member.

May Day From The Sidelines

Today is May Day.

A little celebrated holiday once you are over the age of eight and done making flower head-wreaths (or part of the labor force).

But in the admission world - my world - May Day takes on so much more significance.

It is Election Day.
It is the last day of school.
It is opening night.

May 1st is the nationally recognized day in which seniors must make their college decision. As such, admission counselors eagerly await (OK, we aren't really waiting...we are emailing and greeting visitors and note-writing and calling and reception hosting...) this day as the day in which we find out who will be arriving on campus the following fall. It is the day we have been working for all year (plus).

We are also doing a whole lot of praying. Pleasepleaseplease may the numbers come in on target. Pleasepleaseplease may that really cool student from Montana decide to enroll. Pleasepleaseplease may the Dean have a smile on his face come 5 o'clock.

Yes, our livelihood is centered around the whims of 18 year-olds whose prefrontal cortex has yet to completely develop. Yep, that same prefrontal cortex that functions as a decision maker. We are in for a bumpy ride...

When I started in admissions almost 20 years ago enrollment deposits (and declines) came in pre-addressed/stamped #10 envelopes. We had one person in the office that opened the mail and everyone hovered around her desk as she calmly slit open the day's mail. We paced. We looked over her shoulder. In short...we drove her nuts.

Nowadays students can let us know online, on Facebook, with a swipe of that square dohickey you attach to your smart phone. And yes, we still accept that pre-addressed/stamped #10 envelope for the quaint of heart. But despite how they tell us of their decision, when they tell us still hasn't changed. My life for the past (almost) 20 years holds this day as significant.

It is the first day of spring training.
It is Tax Day (if you are an accountant).
It is Christmas.

So here I sit, this May 1st, not having checked my work email since noon-ish on March 20th. I can't believe I've lasted this long (I'm sure some people took bets on how long I could stay away). Oh, yes, I'll admit I sent a text to a colleague this morning wishing the office a "Happy May 1st", but that's it.

Instead of checking email every 3.5 minutes for an updated list from the Dean, and then eagerly scanning that list of names for "my" students, I'm staring at this:

May Day 2014 couldn't be any better.

But I do hope I get an email today from the office with the results of those pre-addressed/stamped #10 envelopes.

Old habits die hard.

Rooms With A View

It's New Year's Eve. 

I haven't posted since September.

I promise you, I haven't been sitting here eating bon bons, leisurely lounging these past few months. Nope. I've been wrapped up in what is affectionately known in my business as "Travel Season". While yes, I know that I can blog from hotel rooms and Starbucks across the country, I haven't seemed to master that skill just yet. Admittedly my "J" comes out and I never think I'm quite prepared to blog on the fly. 

I don't have my trusty (personal) laptop. 

I don't have any photos to share. 

I haven't blogged about what happened last week...so how can I move onto this week?

All ridiculous excuses, I realize, especially given this tech world of iClouds and iPhones and all things "i". Then again, I don't get how most of those items connect to each other. 

OK...back to travel season. I promise I was traveling over hill and dale, meeting with lovely 17- and 18-year olds and their just as lovely counselors throughout the West. While I didn't actually get photos of each of those students (I think there's some privacy and ethical issues with that), I did take some photos while I was on the road.

1. Yonkers, New York.

I started my fall travel season in August with a week back on the "Mother Ship", ending in a morning of greeting new students on Move-In Day. Move-In Day may be my favorite day of the year.

2. Honolulu, Hawaii.

I know. I know. You are all thinking..."Really?!??! Hawaii?!" And yes, it is a lovely place to travel for work. But I stress the work part. I was a dork and didn't even put my feet in the water. And though this view was nice, I was on the "wrong" side of the hotel as the other side is a view of the water. Then again, I got upgraded to a two room suite. (Note to self: Stop while you are ahead.)

3. Toronto, Canada.

I am well aware that Toronto is not in the West, nor the US. But we had our national/international conference there this September. The conference was great. The roommate situation was even better (yes, we all go to conferences so we can have slumber parties with our friends).

4. Seattle, Washington.

While some may say I lacked a view in Seattle, I kinda enjoyed watching the traffic on I-5 ebb and flow.


5. [missing photo alert: Portland, Oregon.]

Don't worry...I have another photo from this airport hotel later this fall. I know you are eagerly awaiting it.


6. Torrance, California.

I had this view for less than ten hours. The best part? There was a Barnes & Noble in the building to the far right. Of course, I never made it there, but a girl can dream from her balcony, right?

7. San Diego, California.

Hello, palm trees! And Hwy 8.

8. Santa Barbara, California.

Yes, I got to go to exotic Santa Barbara too. But the view isn't always as nice as you imagine it. I was also sick as a dog for this part of my fall, so I only cared about the bed. I'm surprised I even got this photo taken.

9. Universal City, California.

Another great view...of a freeway.

10. [missing photo alert: Culver City, California.]

See any previous freeway photos for reference.


11. San Jose, California.

I think nighttime was the only view I really had in San Jose. I was just glad I wasn't in that other building, as I would have had to go outside. Laziness sets in at some point.

12. [no hotel alert: Seattle, Washington.]

One day trip = no hotel. But it was Seattle so it did equal a coffee date with my college roommate and lunch with a work colleague from another college.


12. Pasadena, California.

I could almost see my old apartment from this room. Oh, and this room had two double beds so friend BY could have a sleepover. We ended up not having said sleepover, but we did have a movie night in this room. And BBQ. A trip to Pasadena isn't complete without BBQ with BY.

13. Glendale, California.

I always think of these internal atriums in Embassy Suites as being futuristic pods of mini-cities. This idea may have arisen early in my admission career during a long interview weekend when I was "stuck" in one of these Embassy Suites for four days. I think large quantities of cold medication was also being consumed that weekend. But the idea, 18 years later, has stuck.

And those of you familiar with the LA area are wondering why I moved from Pasadena to Glendale...better lobby for interviews. Nuff said.

14. Portland, Oregon.

I promise I am not in jail...merely at an airport hotel where they want to be sure you don't jump out the window onto the tarmac. Then again, I'm not facing the tarmac.

15. Portland, Oregon.

Different trip. Different hotel. Better view.

16. Santa Cruz, California.

If you squint really hard, you can see the ocean. Not.

17. [missing photo alert: Walnut Creek, California]

Close your eyes and imagine a view of an elevated BART train line a mere 25 feet directly in front of you. No wonder I didn't take a photo.


18. Larkspur, California.

Another pool I didn't use. But the best part of this hotel was that college friend EJ was in a room two floors directly below me. Yes, we planned it.

19. Seattle, Washington.

In case you are counting, this is trip #3 to the Emerald City. 

20. Santa Monica, California.

The SaMoHi marching band serenaded me with a concert one evening as they headed to the football field. The baseball players also had practice on this field. The Farmer played baseball in college. I'm sure I missed him right about now.

21. [missing photo alert: Portland, Oregon.]

Please see #14.


22. [missing photo alert: New Rochelle, New York.]

Ah, the irony. I forgot to take a photo of my second Mother Ship trip of the fall. Imagine a Chase bank and CVS pharmacy.


23. San Francisco, California.

Welcome to way too expensive hotels in downtown San Francisco!

And there concludes my retrospective of fall travel. I know you are jealous. Especially of that Portland airport hotel.