Tag Archives: summer

Hospitality

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During the summer of 2009, I worked at a very large waterpark resort in the tourist town of Wisconsin Dells.  My summer at the Kalahari was fun, chaotic, and full of surprises daily.  Some of the stories I have from working there are hilarious and funny, while others are shocking.

I think having the experience working in a hotel has created a strong desire for me to read “Heads in Beds” by Jacob Tomsky.  A memoir and tell-all of the hotel business is exactly what I need to read to remind myself exactly why I left working in the Dells once and for all in spring of 2010.

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Some memorable stories from that summer are as follows:

The summer I worked at the hotel, we were suggested to have our hotel guests fill out comment cards about their stay.  I had over 60 people fill out comment cards suggesting their stay was fantastic, which allowed me to earn a free night’s stay at the hotel as well as movie tickets to the connecting theater.

I also earned a small percent of a commission when upgrading rooms for people staying on their vacations.  I was able to earn quite a bit of money to my additional paycheck from helping guests get a good deal on an amazing room during their stay.

I once had a guest walk off without paying for his stay at the hotel.  One of my co-workers was able to track him down at his job to receive the payment from his stay.

I had many unhappy guests from when movies were purchased via pay-per-view.  We actually had a machine in the back room where we were able to tell whether or not the movie was viewed, and if so, for how long.  We ended up refunding many movies because they were accidentally purchased and subsequently not watched.

It was fun working at the hotel, but I learned a lot more than I ever expected.  I learned to be prepared for anything.  I earned more respect for those who work in service industries, since they are working hard and unable to make changes to corporate policy.  But, I learned tips and tricks.  Such as, it is less expensive to go to the waterpark after five in the afternoon.  That Tuesdays are much less expensive days to vacation than any of the weekend days.  And, that if you have a question, it’s always best to ask.

 

 

Madison Checklist: Another Update

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I started a to-do of things to do before leaving Madison.  I still have a lot to accomplish, but have kept myself busy.  Meaning, some of the items on my to-do list weren’t the best for me to do.  So, here is an edited list, so I am ensuring I am enjoying my last few weeks in the city.
  • Host a bonfire at Picnic Point
  • Tour the Capitol building
  • Take my photo with Abe graduation day the Wisconsin Alumni Association offered the ability for me to get a professional photo taken for $5!
  • Tour the New Glarus brewery I’ve done this three times now, actually.
  • Tour Captial Brewery  Sam and I did this together over Memorial Day Weekend.
  • Take a walk at Olbrich Gardens
  • Stroll through the Arboretum
  • Finish a boot at the Essen Haus
  • Go grocery shopping at the Willy Street Co-Op I grabbed some fresh fruit and veggies from the Middleton location.
  • Get cheese from Fromagination Such an amazing little shop on Cap Square with delicious cheese.
  • Camp overnight at Devil’s Lake and hike the entire trail
  • Study at the Wisconsin Historical Society’s reading room
  • Make a meal out of foods from the Farmer’s Market
  • Sail on Lake Mendota
  • Finish a pitcher my myself at the Terrace
  • Drink on the roof of Brickhouse BBQ  Thanks to Jayne, Anjali, and Jenni for doing this with me a few times now!
  • Bike around town on a B-Cycle I accomplished this yesterday!
  • Eat Frozen Custard at Michael’s
  • Go mini golfing at Vitense
  • Drink beer at the East Side Great Dane
  • Catch some sunshine at the Middleton Pool I did this Tuesday of this week.  I LOVE the Middleton Pool!

Gap Summer

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At this point, it is pretty official, I am taking a gap summer.

No, this does not mean that I am deciding to wear Gap clothing or are working there. Instead, I am taking a summer off to work on myself and my life.

Typically, a gap year for young adults include some sort of life-changing vacation to a magical place in which they have never been. The young adults have a major coming-of-age moment through it all and are transformed into a person with high moral quality, good values, and a head straight on their shoulders. However, my gap summer is nothing like this.

First off, I am spending this summer in Madison, a city in which I have lived for the past two years. In some ways, this city is my home, a place I have already had the opportunity to explore. Madison is comfortable and safe, a place in which I have made myself a young adult during my graduate school experience. However, there is more to Madison than I have had the ability to see. I stay in the safe area of campus and the west side, never venturing too far from what I know and have already done. In my free time this summer, I am trying to be a tourist in my own city, seeing the parts of which I had not seen before. This is a lesson in trying new things and finding the unexpected right in your own backyard.

Literally, in my own backyard. Within a half-mile radius from my apartment is the home in which Aldo Leopold lived his adult life, the University of Wisconsin chancellor’s house, and a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired Prairie-style home. While I knew about the chancellor’s home and the fraternity house, I would have never known about Leopold’s dwelling until I strolled around my neighborhood with Sam one afternoon. From this experience, I know there is so much history in the city and much more to explore. There are nooks and cranny’s that I have not seen here, and I must go out of my comfort zone to find these things. For me to go on this adventure, and explain that I am a creature of habit is already a way in which I have grown this summer.

There was a decently mediocre Jim Carrey movie a few years ago called “Yes Man.” If you haven’t seen it, the gist of the plot is that Carrey’s character cannot say no to anything. This is another way in which I am living my life this summer; saying yes to all of the opportunities come my way. I am trying new foods, trying new activities, and generally getting outside of my apartment as much as possible. I am taking advice from new friends, reading books that are recommended to me, and did I mention trying new food? I am trying to be less predictable though this adventure. Let’s hope it works.

The last thing about this summer which makes it different is that I am working in a part-time job that has nothing to do with my future career path. Why yes, working retail is not what I want to be doing with the rest of my life, it has been a learning opportunity and been a great way for me to meet new people I would have otherwise never known. Although I have worked in customer service for over half of my life now, I believe that this experience has taught be to be a better guest wherever I go, be it a restaurant, coffee shop, clothing store, or movie theater. I am a guest, regardless if I pay, and public service positions can be demanding and tiring. We are all humans, and all have to find a way in which to get by – therefore I have no judgements for people working any form of job which makes them happy; I will never know the answer to everyone’s lives.

While I am working part-time, the rest of my time is spent on the full-time job hunt, exploring Madison in new and exciting ways, and finding myself. I find that this month’s book, The Happiness Project, is perfect for me to be reading right now. I am laying down framework in my life to be happier with the major life changes that are speeding my way. Thankfully, I am happy with everything in my life, even the mundane days in which I clean my apartment and do laundry. I am so happy for where I am, even though I cannot believe this is where life has taken me.