I'm convinced that I have the best job in the world. No, I didn't say the highest paid--that would bring huge guffaws from travel writers around the world because the money involved is more like a ten-year-old's allowance. But the benefits..!!
February 28th is the Bartender's Bash, THE event that decides the bartender and drink that he/she has concocted out of Cold River Vodka or Gin.Cold River Vodka and Gin are entirely Maine-made products. Thirty bartenders are contending for the title of the "best", and the evening's attendees are the judges. That's thirty drinks to judge. Oh my. Note to self: arrange taxi for transportation back to my room at the Chadwick B&B.
I love mini trips like this. The event, the stay in a beautiful B&B and then the writing about the experience. How is it possible to have such a cool job? Even when I don't get paid to cover an event, I chalk it up to experience and getting my name "out there". I tell myself that each trip gets me closer to a large glossy magazine asking me to please write for their magazine. My grandmother always called me a dreamer, and maybe she was right. But Grammy was the one who gave me the courage to follow my dreams, saying if you follow your dreams, the money will follow. I hope she's right, and I know my credit card company hopes she's right.
B&B's are the ultimate in accommodations yet seldom cost more than than a good motel. But what you get is worth so much more. The first time I stayed in a B&B I swore I would never lower myself to staying in a motel, and I've managed to keep that promise, except for those rare places where there are no B&B's. I love the ambiance of B&Bs; the innkeepers are always welcoming and truly want you to enjoy their home. The little details that some B&B's remember make you remember them. The very first B&B I stayed at had embroidered linens in the bathroom with the initial of my last name--and over breakfast I determined that all the guests had noticed the same incredible detail. One B&B not only turned down my bed, opened the window a bit (it was a sultry night) and sat a glass of ice water on the bedstand. I always remember details. Did you ever notice that you never see anyone cleaning the main rooms of a B&B? I did.
I'm anxious to stay at the Chadwick in Portland. They've given me the Longfellow Room, which looks lovely. It is close to the event I'm attending, and I plan to chat up the innkeepers about the history of the place. I used to think history was the most boring thing in the world, but when you talk to people and learn the history of a place, it becomes fascinating.
Needless to say, I'm looking forward to my trip to Portland. It's only a couple hours from home, but I plan to take in even more than the Bartender's Bash and the Chadwick. Something will fall into my lap that I have no choice but to write about--it always happens that way.
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