Akron OHIO!!! On our internal training website we have an excel spreadsheet schedule that is posted and maintained by our bosses that gives us an idea of where we might go next. I rarely look at it as it changes all the time and usually I get a phone call or email about my next assignment. However I logged in while at home after the AC Boston to see if anything was on my schedule and it said Courtyard Downtown Akron, which I knew would be at least 3 trainers so I started looking. I saw on there that one of the other trainers was Tim Jones a gentleman from our team I hadn't met yet, however he sends me a nice email every time a hotel I have been at opens so I was looking forward to seeing him. Then I located the 3rd trainer, Shannon Cole, NO WAY! If you remember my blog from my first day at the corporate office, Shannon is my battle buddy, the one whom I wouldn't have made it through the last 10 weeks without, the one who when I have questioned my training ability has been there with a kind word, who has been a cheerleader and someone who I can trust (which as we both established doesn't come easy for us)! I couldn't believe that they would put us on an assignment together we figured we wouldn't see each other forever; I knew she was in the process of leaving Waco so I called an left her a voicemail....I am sure I sounded like an over excited idiot in it....but I was so excite to see her face! We text daily and talk every few days, but it would be nice to see her face!
Well the training team stuck and we had been released to Akron...super excited! Then on Sunday (we arrived on Monday 3/7) we got an email that Tim wouldn't be joining us that he had become sick and wouldn't be able to make it out on the road....we were to hold tight about a replacement. We called each other and were assured that we were going to have to pull this off together and had no doubts that we could do it! Then we got an email that Emma would be replacing Tim and joining us later on Monday....so exciting! I had just spent a week with her in Boston and was excited to see her again in a less crazy environment and hopefully I would get to learn some more about her!
Shannon and I got to meet up in the Charlotte airport and spent 3 hours in the American Airlines Admirals Club catching up and getting prepared for the Leadership meeting when we arrived at the hotel.
So the hotel is beautiful and in downtown Akron, not too far from Goodyear and the University of Akron. The staff was eager to get started, although some of them had heard that the female trainers where tougher and meaner than the male trainers so they were nervous that 3 ladies showed up! All in all it was a good training time together and with a few issues at the hotel with the fire permit, we actually ended up having to push the opening back 2 days and didn't open until today March 17th, St. Patty's Day! So we had an extra 2 days to train the staff....and an extra 2 days to explore Akron! While here we established our "Club House" in one of the suite loft rooms at the end of the hall that wasn't quite done, ate at some awesome places, discovered a grocery store with live bands a bar and beer and drinking while you shop, did several group workouts, laughed from morning till night and only got ditched one night by Emma for dinner :)!!!!
This was a week that trainers dream of having, a team that was eager to learn and training partners that are as crazy as you are who want to make it fun and who roll with the punches when things just aren't working out right. Emma again was so patient with Shannon and I who had only seen one Bistro training and took the time to teach us so much. They then continued to rock Bistro training as I trained Front Desk and Housekeeping. My side hurt from laughing at the end of everyday, my dance moves got worse as the week went on and I can honestly say it would take a lot to top this week! Team members and Regional team members from the hotel management company said multiple times that you all must travel together often and where shocked to hear that this is the first time we had worked together; they thought that we always traveled together as much fun, respect, organization and patience we had with each other and team. It was an amazing week and again made me feel truly blessed to do what I do...the long hours and sleepless nights in a creepy hotel make it all worth it!
Part II to this blog...coming soon!!! How 2 random girls from two different places with two different personalities have become such good friends and come to find out have had similar pasts!
So much fun to see my friend and hang out in the Admirals Club!
What do you do with no internet...you hook the Ipad up to the big screen in the "Club House Room" and FaceTime your favorites and take a selfie with them! Tricia was just landing at LAX...so good to see her cute face!
The one...the only...Chantel!
Bistro training day one....Shannon and I are official in our chefs coats!
FaceTime with the Queen herself.....my side hurt from laughing so hard!!!
I am so sorry Ormsby....you have been replaced on my screensaver!!!
Bistro training....my sharpie had to match my lipstick!
Opening day selfie the day before since Emma left us for home!
Anne and Jo.....a couple of crazy front desk agents I had the pleasure of training!
Opening day selfie!!!
My seat mate on the plane to Akron....her mom had to go to the bathroom so I got to hold her....so cute!!! And so calm on the plane! Mini Pearl would have been freaking out!!
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