The Stars At Night

MSP-DFW (Minneapolis-Dallas-Fort Worth)

First official trip of the fall has me in Dallas for a private school fair. I stayed at the Westin which is attached to the Galleria, a fancy mall with an ice skating rink on the lower level! Side note, did you know the Westin has a "signature scent"? Not only is it the scent of their shampoo, conditioner and lotion...they pump it through their ventilation system so the lobby has a strong aroma of Westin White Tea. What will they think of next?

I arrived late on Friday night, was hungry but not particularly interested in going out for dinner so I ordered a salad to go from the hotel restaurant. Thankfully the fair wasn't until early afternoon on Saturday so I slept in, took my time getting ready and went shopping. Probably not a good idea.

Have you heard of Teavana? I hadn't either until I was doing the CTCL fairs in the southeast in August. A couple of the hotels we stayed at w're also attached to malls (Atlanta and Birmingham) and because I didn't rent a car on that trip I spent most of my free time shopping. I guess I could consider that trip as my first travel of the season since that was the beginning of my fall shopping. I was sick during that trip which was incredibly unfortunate except for the fact that I discovered Teavana. You know how when you're sick with a sore throat and sinus infection you just want hot tea? Well I do anyway. So I stumbled upon this shop that sells high priced tea and all sorts of accessories to go with it. I was tempted by the teas and contraptions with which to brew it (not your standard tea kettles) in Atlanta and again in Birmingham but in each city I just purchased a cup of tea and went on my merry way (sore throat, clogged sinuses and all). Apparently I left my willpower at home during this trip. By the time I left the mall at 11:30am to get ready for the fair, I had spend $76 on a fancy travel mug where I can steep my tea anywhere at anytime, oolong tea (good for digestion!) and rock sugar!!! As I texted to a friend: welcome to travel season 2012. 

I hadn't put much thought into who would be at this fair so I was pleasantly surprised when I was following Philana into the HS gym. And excited again when I saw Kevin from St. Lawrence setting up his table around the corner from me. Kevin and I spent 5 days and 1000 miles riding in the backseat of a minivan last spring. We, along with 2 other college reps, drove from Raleigh to Charlotte to Atlanta to Nashville to Memphis spreading the joys of our colleges to HS students and college counselors. That trip should have been written about as it was quite an adventure.

After the fair, I jogged on a nice treadmill and met Kevin for dinner at the Grand Lux, which is pretty much the same as the Cheesecake Factory. We were tempted by the desserts in the menu, but as I was telling Kevin about Pinkberry (my favorite treat, as you know) I realized there may be one nearby. So I introduced Kevin to the deliciousness of Pinkberry and  had my fix for the weekend.

The fair yesterday was pretty much a bust, but at least I have my $76 travel mug and oolong tea to show for it. Please don't judge. :)

Deep in the heart of Texas,

Jill