A funny thing happened on the way...

One of the most fun parts of my job is shopping for new books for the store. I travel all over the US searching through warehouses, attending trade shows, meeting with publishers to bring you the best books they have to offer at the best prices I can get.

Last Thursday I left for a trip to a trade show in Boston. I spent Thursday evening with family... a double bonus... getting to visit and at the same time get a free room. When I arrived to the show on Friday, the Hynes Convention Center was in total chaos! Police, fire, S.W.A.T., rescue and more were there. News cameras and reporters were running in all directions. Apparently the Prudential building attached to the convention center lost power and everyone had to evacuate the building. Such excitement!

The actual book show was blah... I didn't purchase a thing. HOWEVER... an old high school friend heard I was in the area and called to say she JUST HAPPENED to have a spare ticket to see BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN Saturday night and was wondering if I would like to join her. Are you KIDDING???? Of course I would like to go!!! So... instead of driving home Friday night I was left with the task of finding an affordable room at the last minute in Boston.

Armed with my iPhone and a credit card I was able to secure a room outside of town at a reasonable rate. Now I needed clothes since I didn't pack for this unexpected turn of events. Again... iPhone to the rescue, I found an upscale outlet mall just minutes from my hotel. Thrilled to be crossing off an item on my bucket list... I called and made a reservation to go on a Whale Watch out of Boston Harbor the next day. All is right with the world... until I found my stay at the Comfort Inn not so comfortable.

My room was located on the first floor and was the first room next to the entrance door. This was a non-smoking hotel and therefore the community ashtray was located directly in front of my window. At midnight a group of guys stood out there talking, smoking and drinking until I couldn't take it any longer and called the front desk to have them removed. Long story short... it took 2 more calls to the front desk before I lost my cool. By 2:30 I threatened to call the police... they arrived at 3:00am and I was asleep by 3:30am.

Saturday went off without a hitch... although I was so tired. I saw rainbows and whales, had the salt water spray in my face, and was lulled into a stuper by the rocking of the boat. I never noticed the sunburn happening until later that day.

The concert was FABULOUS! Bruce was so entertaining, the crowds all sang, and a good time was had by all. Seeing a Springsteen concert was never on my bucket list... but I wrote it in just to be able to cross it off. I was as deaf and hoarse as any other die hard Springsteen fan!

So... it just goes to show that you never know which direction your life will turn. You need to keep yourself open to change. When I left my house on Thursday I assumed I was headed to a quick 2 day trip to Boston to work and instead I experienced the most fabulous 4 days of my life.

Reach for that brass ring!