On the season in review..

I'm breaking a major travel rule of mine as I type. I've officially succumbed to my total suburban solo recruitment travel boredom.

I'm downstairs in the hotel bar having a drink. By myself.

What most people don't understand are the different rules women have to live by while traveling. After 6 years in the profession I had to be reminded by two women older than me in the office that I should never EVER arrive in a city I'm traveling to at night. Why? Cuz I'm a woman, traveling alone. Really, that should be enough. But some of these places were new to me, others not. Still, I shouldn't be wandering rental car parking garages or getting into taxis by myself once darkness falls. I guess because nothing has ever happened to me before, I take this for granted. But, new rule to be enforced next season - no arriving by myself at night. Done.

Sips wine. Mmm.. Delish.

Right, so the rule I'm breaking. My first or second year on the road I made the mistake of showing up to the Cheesecake Factory in Seattle and eating at the bar. It was the only way I was going to get to eat within the hour, and I've blogged before about the crappy treatment solo diners receive in restaurants. The bartender, alternatively, treated me like a queen, but the gentleman next to me, the one who was a roadie for Ozzy Osbourne, talked my freakin' ear off. Of particular interest was the concept he'd installed for the screen show that opened Ozzy's set. Something about static and maggots. Yes, it was fascinating.. and went over really well as I ate my Southern Fried Chicken Salad.

Ever since that fateful day, I've had a rule of no sitting at bars by myself when traveling. Fair or not, it sends this message of "I want to be talked to.. especially by a guy." and, really, I don't want to be talked to right now. I'm just bored as hell. And I really wanted a drink.

And I wasn't going to be that person that orders a drink for room service and has some poor waiter bring a glass of wine up to my room. I also didn't feel like my drink costing me an extra $3. But, at the risk of sounding like I have a problem, I just really wanted a drink tonight.

After keeping my boyfriend on the phone for about 45 minutes for no good reason, I walked downstairs to stake the place out. Filled with guys watching football. Sigh. OK. But to the left was a woman sitting at a table typing on her laptop. That's it! Take advantage of the wireless signal, order a glass of wine, have the game in the background and just get out of the room. Fantastic.

So here I am. And no one seems to be questioning my presence. Hooray!

So why do I really want a drink? I think it's some subconscious celebration of the fact that my recruitment travel season ends with this trip. I am quite excited about that. I miss home. I miss my boyfriend. I miss my friends. I hate that I'm not around for anything fun that gets scheduled (from national book festivals to happy hours). Plus I get this paranoia on the road that it doesn't matter that I'm gone and, well, that's no good to an only child.

Of course, there remains a rocky road ahead at work. But we'll be in review time soon, and that is my favorite time of year. Even though it's incredibly grueling, I love application time in admissions. I like to think of it as what separates the real deals from the passersby in the profession. If you don't love the file review time, yes MORE than travel, you're never going to last. Eventually, the travel loses its luster. It may be exciting at first, but it becomes downright draining. Plus, when you have people you love at home, you tend to focus on how much it stinks that you're not there. Finally, admissions, REAL admissions, is not so much about recruitment but about process.

OK, so some other lessons I've learned this year, in addition to never arriving at my destination at night..

Go with what you know... I KNOW I'm supposed to stay true to my hotel chain of choice, in order to build up the points. But I got talked out of my loyalty and ended up splitting my travel between chains. As such, I'm not building up to a string of free nights that way I could have. Grr. That will change in the spring.

Stop ordering room service. Or, let me clarify, stop thinking that the French Dip Sandwich from room service is a natural part of any healthy travel diet. Seriously, I think I've eaten 20 in the past month. Find the Whole Foods and get the salad bar, whenever possible.

No more potato chips or french fries. Time to adopt that once Lent sacrifice back into my life. My adoration for carbohydrates and sodium in addition to my love for the French dip sandwich is no longer something from which I am able to quickly recover.

Use plane time for work time! This has been the most fantastic lesson I have learned this year. I have specific projects I save for the plane. It makes the time absolutely fly and keeps my attention better than a book. Plus, it makes me feel much more productive and more entitled to crashing or exploring once I reach my destination. Plus, it makes me look important.

Stop fretting. Period.

Despite your desire to avoid it, check your work voicemail. I change my work voice mail every trip in order to instruct people that I'm gone, I won't return their call until I get back unless they want to send me an e-mail. Grr. They end up leaving me messages anyway and it gets me in trouble. Why can't I beat the system?

Get a rental car. Always. Having a car would have curbed a great deal of boredom, and given the fact that I'll most certainly end up paying at least $80 getting to and from the hotel in cabs, a rental car would have been worth the investment. I'd be out exploring right now!

Finally, leave the hotel bar when the Cowboys fans show up. They'll make your room look so much better.