Miami= FAIL

 This past week I was in Miami for work...I thought it would be awesome... sadly, it was HORRIBLE! Everything just seemed to go from bad to worse, and I hope I do not have to go back there for a long long time.... Fort Lauderdale, Tampa...those are great! But no more Miami, Please!!!

Miami Beach? Yeah, I don't think this actually exists...

I left KC at 6am on monday and once I arrived I went to a hospital for a classroom session. It was a good session. The girls were great and it was productive, but it was a very long day. We finished up and I drove to my hotel, not checking in until 8:30pm. 

My hotel room was AWFUL... I stayed at the Holiday Inn by the airport because it was the most affordable I could find since it was Spring Break... at $90 a night through Priceline, I was truly dissapointed. The second I opened the door to my room I was greeted by a horrible smell. It was musty and odorous... and the bed felt slightly cold and damp. The hotel was an older one that they updated a few years ago. They placed air conditioners in each room, but without proper ventilation, the Miami humidity was leaving a horrible affect behind. The bed was stiff, but I fell asleep pretty quickly since I was so tired. 

Tuesday I woke up to head out for another classroom session. The hospital was 8 miles from the hotel, but I left an hour early to make sure I was on time... Traffic was awful, and people didn't know how to drive in it. Every other car had a scrape or dent in it, and I got cut off about 25 times. An hour and a half later I pulled into the hospital parking lot, and began searching for a spot... yes... 8 miles took me an hour and a half!!!!

The day was ok, but it was long. I got back to the hotel around 7, and got some paperwork done. The major obstacle I faced this week was that 60% of the hospital spoke Creole, and 25% were Spanish speaking only... trying to train when I have no clue what people are saying around me was a new experience, and the least I can say is that I had to have done something right because they had some great sales while I was there.

One night I tried to travel out and go to a little restraunt where I could sit, look at the ocean and eat some crablegs... but I couldn't find anywhere... Everyone I asked told me to go down to Ocean Avenue or South Beach, which wasn't really going to be all that fun without anyone to enjoy it with. Usually my favorite places are the little local joints, where you can enjoy a cocktail and unwind. Not somewhere that I have to fight traffic, fight people to find parking and sit in a loud place by myself with noone to talk to. I checked reviews and found a little place that was right on the bay where the food was supposed to be great. I drove the 15 miles in an hour and 45 minutes... and when I arrived I found out it was only accessible by boat! Why the reviews didn't mention that, I have NO idea... I turned around, drove back and picked up a bean burrito at taco bell which I ate in my room before promptly passing out.

The girls at the hospital told me that if you like Tampa, you will hate Miami... they were right. I ADORE Tampa...the small town feel, the hole-in-the-wall local haunts and the cottage on the beach feel... Miami was over-developed, over-priced, overly-trendy and even the radio DJ's were talking about their breast augmentations! 

On Friday morning I woke up completely ready to head home... and I ran into even MORE problems. I left for the airport with 4 hours before my flight took off. I went down a one-way road the wrong way in the rental car return area and got honked at by 4 people in a row! (I mean, really? The 3 people in front of me just honked at me, yelled at me and flipped me off... did you really think you had to at the same time?) I tried to check-in to my flight and the computers were broken (they had been done for the previous 48 hours online) I got a ticket without a seat assignment, and was told they would give me one at the gate. Yeah...basically, they overbooked this flight by 30 seats!!!! 30 freaking seats?! Seriously?! They kept trying to get people to take $300 vouchers and give up their seat to leave tomorrow so others could leave today. American Airlines, I am DONE with you! You overbook every single flight ON PURPOSE and almost kept me from getting home. I was the TWENTY-SEVENTH overbooked person to actually get on the plane... yikes. Never have I been more happy to be home!

I was greeted in KC by freezing temperatures, it's now snowing... and I could not be happier. I didn't want to let go as I gave my husband a hug, and the puppies and I have not stopped snuggling since I got home. 

Sorry I checked out this past week, but after all of this stuff, the last thing I wanted to do was log online when I got back to the hotel. Here's to this week being much much better!! AND I get to stay in KC! How fantastic is that?! I'm thinking I will go replace the shutters on our house this week....they are peeling like whoa, and I JUST re-painted them this past fall.... I can't wait to get new ones!!!

Hugs and Love from home in KC!!!

♥

Jenni