Interning at Madison

Praise Buddha, I'm no longer unemployed. I finally nailed an internship at my local dream job, Madison Hotel.

Conceited, I know. But it is a really nice boutique property downtown. One of a select few 4-star properties in Memphis.

I love being a part of a hotel that isn't just another chain.

Sure, being a part of a chain gives you perks, like the IHG Conference in Las Vegas. Lots of support, instant brand recognition.

Being independent is difficult, but has the reward of not following a big company's rules. It is more flexible. More creative.

Which is much more Madison.

I am going to spend the next few months as an intern in housekeeping, then on to butler (basically their concierge), and finally front office.

This will hopefully help me narrow down what to do with my life. I like a lot of parts of hospitality, but I'm not sure what I love enough to make a career of it.

I love Disney, but only as a seasonal cast member. I simply can't work there full time and still love it. It just won't work.

Over the course of my four years in hospitality, I've learned a lot from each job.

MALCO Theatres: I definitely can't handle something mundane and ritualistic. I HATED being around food. Too many rules. It was only a concession stand, but it was enough. I like movies and all, but you won't find me running a theatre.

Hilton Hotels Corporation: Even though I worked in a complaint department, I really liked the job. I enjoyed talking to different types of people all the type. I hated the corporate office environment. I couldn't stand to be in that building and inside all day under fluorescent light.

Disney: Semi-mundane, but enough variety in people to converse with that it didn't matter. Lots of perks. Lots of sunshine and being outside. Much more mundane now, though.

Homewood Suites: Working at the front desk is fun, but it is checking-in and checking-out all day (boring). The great part was, again, getting to know all my guests. Not a wide variety, but still a great time.

Madison Hotel: Here I am. In housekeeping. I started this weekend as a front line housekeeper. I'm not kidding. I cleaned rooms and bath rooms. Made beds. Cleaned toilets. All in a dorky dress.

I'm definitely staying in school.

In fact, I'm going to work ten times harder now.

I'm really glad I had the chance to actually do it, though. It's tough. We all know it, but you don't really know it until you do it.

I think every hotelier should spend a weekend as a housekeeper. Spend one day cleaning rooms all day, just to wake up and do it again the next day. It makes you more compassionate and more logistically understanding when it comes to how fast rooms can really be cleaned by one person.

Great experience. There are amazing people that clean your rooms. They are unbelievably humble. I met one who was only doing it so she could pay for her daughter (my age by the way) to live in her own apartment because she was so proud of her.

Humanity makes you so proud sometimes. That's absolutely beautiful.

They work so hard and often help each other clean rooms once they are done. They look out for everyone. Each one genuinely wanted to know how I liked it and did their best to help me.

At the end of it all, I truly deserved my sleep this weekend. I valued my free time so much more now after such a hard day.

I realize how lucky I am that I will never have to do that full time. I have had so many opportunities from loads of different people in my life that gave me a chance. I often think of a quote from Chuck Palahniuk:

"Nothing of me is original. I am the combined effort of everybody I've ever known."

So thank you for reading. And occasionally commenting. Thank you for all you do for me on my life's journey. I can't wait to see where the adventure goes.