When opportunities arise, it’s usually wise to seek out the moment. One never knows what to expect or what good will come. One day in mid- February, I was asked to interview for an career changing position in the “Big D,” and leaped at the chance.
My 22 hours began with a last minute rush to pack, printing out boarding passes for my flight and parking discount tickets for my vehicle at the airport, and then I was off!
The interesting thing was, I had to make several stops before I eventually arrived at Houston’s Hobby Airport. First, head to the
cleaners. Within hours of arriving back in the Houston metro, I had to repack for a trip to Florida. So, I needed to have fun casual clothes ready to go back in suitcase for the holiday weekend trip. Then, I made a stop at the florist to pick up roses for a friend who was having a difficult time with her career and then to the airport. In an ironic moment (only to me) I took a call from a friend who was about to embark on her own journey to Abu Dhabi! Hers is a slightly longer adventure than my 1-hour flight to Dallas.
When I arrived at the airport (slightly less than an hour before my scheduled flight), I could not help but be amazed by the sheer number of people flying out on a Wednesday afternoon from a smaller (sometimes international) airport. The place was packed, but always orderly. The people at Hobby do a great job (except for the time when I was a robbed in the parking lot on Christmas Day!). That is another story. The flight to Dallas was uneventful. It was amazing though, how we could sit on the runway for nearly 30 minutes and still arrive on time in Dallas. Remember, it was only a 1-hour flight. But on this day, it was 30-minutes. That would be a math thing. Clearly, I’m not good at math! As an accidental tourist, I try very hard not to check my bags, packing only enough to carry onboard the aircraft. Watching the ground crew in Dallas unload the aircraft, made me thankful my bad was in the overhead bin.
One of my very best friends picked me up at Love Field in Dallas. Love Field always reminded me of a “dressed up” version of Hobby Airport in Houston. Southwest Airlines is based at Love Field. And the facility is always bustling with activity. We scurried off to find a place for cocktails and conversation. She is very social and knows the “cooler” places to enjoy Dallas so I knew (even before I arrived) I was in good hands. First stop, “Burgers and Barley.” It looked pretty cool from the outside, and a packed parking lot (with no empty spaces) suggested that it will be around for a while. So, we moved on. Then we ended up at a quaint, dark, and mirrored place playing cool music and with a great vibe. Don’t ask me the name. After about 10 minutes, a friend from Houston showed up to join us, and then another former co-worker! It turned out to be Houston night in Dallas. Who knew? We munched on fries, talked and finally all had some type of salad. Kim had Kobe egg rolls. We met a couple who lived in the area, talked about life, travel children, Belize (of course) and living in Texas. When the conversation winded down, we moved the party to a chocolate and jazz bar. I’m told (by the girls) the chocolate was divine. I had a beer?? Yes, I don’t drink beer unless I’ve trimmed the lawn. And that has been years! It was good time. The music was in the blues genre, which was nice and as friends, we enjoyed the moment. Around 10:30, the adults were winding down.
My friend, and host of the evening had to be at work at 4:30am so she dropped me off at my hotel, The Fairmont and was on her way. After checking in and seeing my amazing room, I went back downstairs to watch NBA basketball in the hotel lounge. The lounge (as well as the rest of the hotel) was grand and formal. Yet, the customers were young and full of energy. There were three major groups, full of energy but respectful of the atmosphere. I snacked on the peanuts quietly and watch the game. I had a busy morning ahead and used the time to get mentally ready for what Thursday morning would bring.
The sunrise downtown was amazing. I took a few shots (posted one on Instagram) and slowly began to prepare for my day. Shortly before I left the room for the final time, I received a text that could have derailed my day. Some people have that effect on you, the ability to bring sunshine or thunderstorms. On this day, I pulled out my “emotional umbrella” and soldiered on.
The next several hours, involved interviews, conversations, lunch looking over the city and a friendly goodbye with a homework assignment attached. I took an Uber back to Love Field, talked to my friend in Dallas who described a Presidential news conference that just concluded. I made it through the security screenings mostly unscathed and found a place to ponder the trip, sip on Tennessee’s finest and mentally plan for another adventure in less than 20 hours. Shortly before boarding, I grabbed a quick Chick-fil- A meal, and headed back to Houston. The man sitting beside me worked in the Dallas area, but lived in Houston. He spoke of his career, family, and life. There had been a work stoppage based on immigration issues raised by the new President. For him though, it was a wasted day in Dallas as he had other things to do. Arriving back in Houston and getting to the car was a breeze. The worst part of the trip was driving home. It took me longer to get home than to fly from Dallas to Houston. Thank you rush hour traffic. Thank you very much! But I did manage to capture a beautiful sunset to round out the trip. Remember, pack light, plan ahead, and enjoy the moment. You only get a finite number of heartbeats, don’t waste any of yours.
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