Time Changes can be killer. Especially if you do not have any time to get use to it. I was in Toronto for a weekend to assist a client activation. On the day of the event, the call time to the studio was 5:50 AM. To ensure I had enough time to get up, get ready, wake up, have breakfast and walk the 30 minutes to the studio I set my alarm for 4:30 AM. But this seemed so cruel. Because I was now 2 time zones ahead, 4:30AM seemed like 2:30 AM to me. So it was going to be a long day.
As I mentioned previously, I was staying in the Financial District and most things were closed so early in the morning. So I once again was limited in choice to Tim Hortons. After getting some food and hot coco, I started on my way. As I started getting close to the studio, I realized my plan of “not being late” was backfiring into “being out too early.” With nothing open, and the cold harsh winter temperature of Toronto pressing in, I was panicking a little bit. I couldn’t wait outside in this cold for over 40 minutes! So I tried to think of what I could do. Going back to Tim Hortons was out of the question, walking there and back would eat up all that time.
Then I remembered that there was a HUGELY fancy hotel, a block away from the studio. So I tried to spruce myself up so I looked professional and not like a homeless person wandering in. I removed my hat, my scarf, and exposed my business clothes so it was apparent who I was. I then strolled confidently into the hotel at 5 AM in the morning. Walked halfway through the ritzy lobby, and sat down in the most comfy chair I could see.
As expected, the bewildered hotel staff politely came up to me. “Miss…..is there anything we can help you with?”
I smiled and said firmly “No thank you! I have an early meeting with a coworker who is staying here. He’s running a bit late so I’ll wait for him here.”
It seemed like moments went by as I willed them to believe that anyone would have a 5 AM meeting scheduled. But they did and left me alone. I pulled out my laptop, to find there wasn’t any free wifi. I figured asking them for the wifi password would be pressing my luck, and since I didn’t have an international data plan, I just read a book on my phone.
As 10 minutes slid into 20 minutes of waiting, I could see the hotel workers pointing to me and talking in low voices. I still had at least another 20 minutes of waiting. I pretend to check my text messages. When they asked again if I needed help, I once again answered that the coworker had overslept, and hoped he would be down soon as we were running late.
Somehow they let me stay there enough time, but they hovered around me keeping an eye out. I then had to figure out a believable way to leave without my mythical coworker. I stared at my non-existent text messages. A little louder than under my breath I said “That rat bastard! He’s hungover! The client is going to be so pissed! Fuck this I’m leaving without him!” I said something similar “under my breath” as I walked past now a manager who had obviously been brought out to talk to me. Finally, to the doorman I said, “If you see him, tell him I left without him!” I said in mock anger as I hurried myself out the door.
I then walked the short distance to the studio where I met my real coworkers and the client right on time!
Travel Missteps is an every-other week series on how sometimes part of the journey is making mistakes and getting lost.
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