Happy December to all my fellow counselors, travel friends, and many readers of this blog!
I apologize for not posting in the past few weeks. I hope that your fall travel season is winding down now, as we all retreat into our offices to read applications in the post-thanksgiving chaos.
I love being back in the swing of things, easing myself into a routine again; the only time I pull out the GPS is to find places around my hometown. But I DID find myself having a thought last week (and dare I admit it) while I was standing in the cold and light snow one morning on the way to work:
"I wish I was in Jersey."
"What?!" my sub-conscious responded. "Are you nuts?"
But it is true, I can't deny it. Why, you ask? Because in Jersey, they pump your gas for you.
I wouldn't be standing in the cold, hands numb inside my gloves...I would be in my car listening to holiday music.
I found this phenomenon in Jersey scary at first. I would always fill up my tank across the border in New York before traveling long distances in Jersey because there were so many things about this process I didn't understand. Did you tip the attendant? Do you hand them your credit card? Do you have to be social? Am I that incompetent that I can't fill my own gas tank?
Until I was following my friend (who lives in Jersey) home one night and he needed to stop for gas, so it would be strange if I didn't do so as well. I felt one thing. Terror. My friend eased into one spot, while an available attendant waved me over to another. I tried to park close to the fill up station but was afraid of hitting the attendant, so I ended up way off.
"I can work with that..." He said, sounding wary.
And in that moment I did the two things I always tend to do when nervous (or excited, or in a new place)...talk to much and be honest.
"I'm sorry!!!! I'm so so sorry!!! I have never gotten my gas tank filled in Jersey before!"
He grinned. "Well ma'am, this is gonna be a nice treat then"
His friendly demeanor set me at ease. And I sat in my car listening to music, staying warm.
THAT is what I wished for last Wednesday at the gas station near my home.
So, I guess New Jersey is growing on me. :)
Safe Travels and Stay Warm,
Alexandra
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Friday, November 4, 2011
To Eat or Not to Eat
This past week lately I've been hearing from my fellow counselors on the road that this is the time of year where everyone gets really sick of "road food" and dining out.
All I have to say is I am right there with ya'. What once seemed so exciting in our first few days of our travel, has completely worn off.
So as this week winds down, and as we count down our last days of fall travel season here are some ideas to keep you healthy and sane on the road!
Starbucks. As my last post suggests, I am a fan of Starbucks, mostly because I spent one summer working at a Barnes and Noble Cafe where we "proudly brew Starbucks coffee." I spent hours learning (and enjoying!) how to make a Carmel Macchiato.
Despite my love of Starbucks, I never paid much attention to the FOOD. These days I find myself craving a strawberry or carrots or anything that doesn't look like it will add ten pounds to various body parts. So there I was standing in line at Starbucks and behold: the Bistro Boxes.
I picked two and looked forward to a better dinner than anything at a chain restaurant.
Box One: organic grilled chicken, carrots, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, whole wheat pita and hummus
Box Two: Trail Mix, Apples, Whole Wheat crackers, and assorted cheese
In a land lacking fruit and veggies, this was pure Happiness.
Another option I've found decent is the to-go salads at the Olive Garden. What makes them unique is the distinct packaging where the croutons, cheese, dressing and other dangerous sides are arranged separately so you can really make the salad your own! A good choice on the road without a kitchenette!
Where do you eat when on the road?
Eat Well and Safe Travels,
Alexandra
All I have to say is I am right there with ya'. What once seemed so exciting in our first few days of our travel, has completely worn off.
So as this week winds down, and as we count down our last days of fall travel season here are some ideas to keep you healthy and sane on the road!
Starbucks. As my last post suggests, I am a fan of Starbucks, mostly because I spent one summer working at a Barnes and Noble Cafe where we "proudly brew Starbucks coffee." I spent hours learning (and enjoying!) how to make a Carmel Macchiato.
Despite my love of Starbucks, I never paid much attention to the FOOD. These days I find myself craving a strawberry or carrots or anything that doesn't look like it will add ten pounds to various body parts. So there I was standing in line at Starbucks and behold: the Bistro Boxes.
I picked two and looked forward to a better dinner than anything at a chain restaurant.
Box One: organic grilled chicken, carrots, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, whole wheat pita and hummus
Box Two: Trail Mix, Apples, Whole Wheat crackers, and assorted cheese
Another option I've found decent is the to-go salads at the Olive Garden. What makes them unique is the distinct packaging where the croutons, cheese, dressing and other dangerous sides are arranged separately so you can really make the salad your own! A good choice on the road without a kitchenette!
Where do you eat when on the road?
Eat Well and Safe Travels,
Alexandra
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Please God let there be a Starbucks....
Ever since the beginning of fall travel season I have had a new appreciation for chain restaurants, and well actually chain everything. From Target, to Chili's, to Outback, to Panera, Subway, Barnes and Noble, and Wallgreens. This has been more apparent to me recently as I have been visiting very rural areas.
I know that when I go into a Panera I can order the same thing that I would in my hometown. The magazine section in Barnes and Noble is always in the same place. There is a comfort to this. This, by the way, is coming from a woman who went to undergraduate school in a town that fought tooth and nail to keep Walmart and big chain stores out.
However, my GPS doesn't always get this need for the familiar. It wants me to try the local cuisine. Not only in its recommendations but in where it actually takes me. Here I was one afternoon hoping for one of those Applebees to-go under 500 calorie meals. So I punch into my GPS "Food Near My Hotel."
Applebees: 1.8 miles away
"Perfect!" I think.
Until Rhoda says, "Arriv-ing at Yo-ur Des-tin-at-ion."
And there was no Applebees. No plazas. A bar, an italian restaurant, and a string of small cabin-like houses. I keep driving ahead. There MUST be an Applebees. Rhoda hasn't been wrong yet, I think to myself.
But Rhoda lied. So I retrace my steps thinking what now?!
I pass the italian restaurant again. What the heck I think, turning around, maybe they will give me something to go.
Sure enough the family run italian business was happy to pack my meal to go so I could enjoy it while doing work in my hotel room. To my surprise it was delicious, so in the end it worked out for the best.
But still....
Since then, my GPS has led me to many a field where it claims there is a Starbucks, an abandoned building where there should be a Panera, or a gas station that no longer exists.
When longing for the familiar this can be frustrating. Yet, it is also pushing me out of my comfort zone, creating new familiars for future travel seasons. As long as I don't toss it out the window in frustration....
:)
Safe travels,
Alexandra
I know that when I go into a Panera I can order the same thing that I would in my hometown. The magazine section in Barnes and Noble is always in the same place. There is a comfort to this. This, by the way, is coming from a woman who went to undergraduate school in a town that fought tooth and nail to keep Walmart and big chain stores out.
However, my GPS doesn't always get this need for the familiar. It wants me to try the local cuisine. Not only in its recommendations but in where it actually takes me. Here I was one afternoon hoping for one of those Applebees to-go under 500 calorie meals. So I punch into my GPS "Food Near My Hotel."
Applebees: 1.8 miles away
"Perfect!" I think.
Until Rhoda says, "Arriv-ing at Yo-ur Des-tin-at-ion."
And there was no Applebees. No plazas. A bar, an italian restaurant, and a string of small cabin-like houses. I keep driving ahead. There MUST be an Applebees. Rhoda hasn't been wrong yet, I think to myself.
But Rhoda lied. So I retrace my steps thinking what now?!
I pass the italian restaurant again. What the heck I think, turning around, maybe they will give me something to go.
Sure enough the family run italian business was happy to pack my meal to go so I could enjoy it while doing work in my hotel room. To my surprise it was delicious, so in the end it worked out for the best.
But still....
Since then, my GPS has led me to many a field where it claims there is a Starbucks, an abandoned building where there should be a Panera, or a gas station that no longer exists.
When longing for the familiar this can be frustrating. Yet, it is also pushing me out of my comfort zone, creating new familiars for future travel seasons. As long as I don't toss it out the window in frustration....
:)
Safe travels,
Alexandra
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Looks like I'm getting a new way to roll after all.....
Funny that only yesterday I felt the need to tell you about my rental car, the trusty KIA Soul.
This morning I received a phone call from Joe at Enterprise.
He started the conversation like a concerned salesmen:
"Hi, this is Joe from Enterprise, I just wanted to check how your experience with the rental car is going."
"Hi Joe, it's going fine..." I find myself groggily replying - it was quite early after all to be answering marketing type phone calls.
"So...." Joe continues. "Our marketing department sold the car you are currently driving."
(Pause)
"So if you could just bring that over today we don't want to cause you any trouble and we'll just change it out for you."
I try not to laugh. "Ok. But I'm in _________ county right now about six hours away....I'm back next week. Does that work?"
Many of my road friends have been sharing with me horror stories about rental cars with flat tires, over sized vans and pick-up trucks that are hard to park and even harder to maneuver. This is my first rental car glitch. Joe was pleasant and we worked it out in the end...despite the neon sign going off in my head saying "they SOLD my KIA???!?!"
So gone are the days of driving the Soul on the Highway, laughing when the song from the hamster commercial comes on the radio.
Looks like another car will be keeping me safe on the road in November!
Safe Travels,
Alexandra
This morning I received a phone call from Joe at Enterprise.
He started the conversation like a concerned salesmen:
"Hi, this is Joe from Enterprise, I just wanted to check how your experience with the rental car is going."
"Hi Joe, it's going fine..." I find myself groggily replying - it was quite early after all to be answering marketing type phone calls.
"So...." Joe continues. "Our marketing department sold the car you are currently driving."
(Pause)
"So if you could just bring that over today we don't want to cause you any trouble and we'll just change it out for you."
I try not to laugh. "Ok. But I'm in _________ county right now about six hours away....I'm back next week. Does that work?"
Many of my road friends have been sharing with me horror stories about rental cars with flat tires, over sized vans and pick-up trucks that are hard to park and even harder to maneuver. This is my first rental car glitch. Joe was pleasant and we worked it out in the end...despite the neon sign going off in my head saying "they SOLD my KIA???!?!"
So gone are the days of driving the Soul on the Highway, laughing when the song from the hamster commercial comes on the radio.
Looks like another car will be keeping me safe on the road in November!
Safe Travels,
Alexandra
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Rental Cars: a Great Way to Roll
I realize that I have not shared with you the type of rental car I am currently rocking out in.
Here's a clue: Think of the commercials with the gansta' hamsters.
Yes. I am currently driving a KIA Soul :)
When I pulled into the driveway of my parents house in this car, my mom couldn't stop laughing. She calls it the dreaded Gestapo car.
One of my buddys on the road says that it is "Such a woman car!" and that he would never drive one. Despite these remarks, I am thoroughly enjoying it. So far, so good.
What type of rental car are you currently driving? (if you are indeed out on the road)
Safe Travels,
Alexandra
Here's a clue: Think of the commercials with the gansta' hamsters.
Yes. I am currently driving a KIA Soul :)
When I pulled into the driveway of my parents house in this car, my mom couldn't stop laughing. She calls it the dreaded Gestapo car.
One of my buddys on the road says that it is "Such a woman car!" and that he would never drive one. Despite these remarks, I am thoroughly enjoying it. So far, so good.
What type of rental car are you currently driving? (if you are indeed out on the road)
Safe Travels,
Alexandra
Looking to the Past, Preparing for the Future
I travel to New Jersey again next week. I have to mentally prepare for this ahead of time.
In thinking ahead to my upcoming travel, I have been recalling with both horror and amusement my first experience driving in the Garden State only a week ago.
What you should understand is that I recently moved to the town of my current employment from the state of Michigan, where driving on the highway meant going 80 mph and traffic laws seemed to be only loosely followed. I thought driving in Michigan prepared me to drive anywhere. I was wrong.
It was literally my first day of out of state travel for the new job, and I clutched the steering wheel of my rental car, the traffic as I approached the New Jersey border getting thicker. It had started to rain and I squinted through the dusk hoping to find my hotel with my new GPS (named Rhoda). I was a bit appalled as I drove on Route 17 to find that people actually drove on the shoulder of the road to bypass traffic without the blink of an eye!
Then I discovered that my hotel was located on the OTHER side of Route 17, meaning I had to get off at an off ramp, onto another highway, and then back onto Route 17 going in the opposite direction. I continued to clutch the steering wheel - starring more at the GPS than the actual road. I sailed onto Route 17 going in the right direction thinking, "Oh my goodness, I made it!" but to my dismay - another highway was merging with mine on the right. I needed to cross over these lanes to get to my hotel.
I made it safely to the parking lot before I realized - I have to go back into that madness if I want to get dinner.
I have come to the conclusion that people in New Jersey must be religious, in order to trust that when they get into their car, they expect to come out alive when they reach their destination.
The rest of the week, every time I arrived at a college fair or a school visit I felt the urge to jump out the car and yell "Land! Solid Land!" like the little girl in the movie the Pacifier who gets out of a minivan kissing the ground after her teenage sister drives recklessly on the road.
Surprisingly, after all of that, I find myself ready to conquer the roads of the Garden State again. Surely if I can drive in New Jersey, I can drive anywhere.
Safe Travels,
Alexandra
In thinking ahead to my upcoming travel, I have been recalling with both horror and amusement my first experience driving in the Garden State only a week ago.
What you should understand is that I recently moved to the town of my current employment from the state of Michigan, where driving on the highway meant going 80 mph and traffic laws seemed to be only loosely followed. I thought driving in Michigan prepared me to drive anywhere. I was wrong.
It was literally my first day of out of state travel for the new job, and I clutched the steering wheel of my rental car, the traffic as I approached the New Jersey border getting thicker. It had started to rain and I squinted through the dusk hoping to find my hotel with my new GPS (named Rhoda). I was a bit appalled as I drove on Route 17 to find that people actually drove on the shoulder of the road to bypass traffic without the blink of an eye!
Then I discovered that my hotel was located on the OTHER side of Route 17, meaning I had to get off at an off ramp, onto another highway, and then back onto Route 17 going in the opposite direction. I continued to clutch the steering wheel - starring more at the GPS than the actual road. I sailed onto Route 17 going in the right direction thinking, "Oh my goodness, I made it!" but to my dismay - another highway was merging with mine on the right. I needed to cross over these lanes to get to my hotel.
I made it safely to the parking lot before I realized - I have to go back into that madness if I want to get dinner.
I have come to the conclusion that people in New Jersey must be religious, in order to trust that when they get into their car, they expect to come out alive when they reach their destination.
The rest of the week, every time I arrived at a college fair or a school visit I felt the urge to jump out the car and yell "Land! Solid Land!" like the little girl in the movie the Pacifier who gets out of a minivan kissing the ground after her teenage sister drives recklessly on the road.
Surprisingly, after all of that, I find myself ready to conquer the roads of the Garden State again. Surely if I can drive in New Jersey, I can drive anywhere.
Safe Travels,
Alexandra
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
The Beginning of my Adventures
As I complete my first month of a new job as a college admissions counselor, a common theme I have been hearing on the road has been "Wow, that story is so funny, someone should blog about it."
I could have titled this blog Road Rage, Rental Cars, and how I threw my GPS out the window, or Close Encounters with death on the New Jersey turnpike (it was, after all, my first experience driving in New Jersey last week), or even something similiar to Paula Marantz Cohen's clever subtitle in her novel about college admissions - Love, Death, and the SATs.
However I call it, we all know, as college admissions representatives, or as traveling salesmen (and women) that there is never a dull moment on the road. I hope to share some of the hilarity with you - and I hope you will share your own stories as well!
And for high school students beginning to apply to college perhaps this will bring you, in the stress of application time, a little laughter into your day.
Safe Travels,
Alexandra
I could have titled this blog Road Rage, Rental Cars, and how I threw my GPS out the window, or Close Encounters with death on the New Jersey turnpike (it was, after all, my first experience driving in New Jersey last week), or even something similiar to Paula Marantz Cohen's clever subtitle in her novel about college admissions - Love, Death, and the SATs.
However I call it, we all know, as college admissions representatives, or as traveling salesmen (and women) that there is never a dull moment on the road. I hope to share some of the hilarity with you - and I hope you will share your own stories as well!
And for high school students beginning to apply to college perhaps this will bring you, in the stress of application time, a little laughter into your day.
Safe Travels,
Alexandra
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