Innkeeping? Why innkeeping, she asked.
With a look that said it all. She hadn't seen me in years, after all, and back in those days I was the pampered guest not the one doing the pampering.
My answer?
"Simple. It's all about the love."
She looked surprised but I was okay with that. Giving folks something to think about is always good, in my book.
And I suppose I could understand the skepticism.
What's to love, after all, about long hours behind the scenes, doing work that is largely invisible to the average guest?
What's to love about working weekends, holidays, evenings?
Waiting for that late check-in to finally arrive? Dealing with grumpy travelers who've just had a fight on the way to the inn?
On the face of it, I'll admit it doesn't really sound all that appealing.
But even long after they've discovered the never-ending laundry and the many tedious tasks that no one ever sees, good innkeepers will tell tell you they love what they do.
And they really mean it. I know I do.
I also know a good innkeeper from a bad one. Right away.
What's a good innkeeper? Same answer.
Simple. It's all about the love.
Good innkeepers, after all, care. It's really just that simple. They care enough to get it right.
Grumpy guests? Give them to me. Nothing more rewarding, in my mind, than seeing that stress lift and the vacation really begin.
Because most guests, no matter what the reason for their stay, will remember this break for the rest of their lives. In fact, they've probably spent months - if not years - planning for just this.
Breaks, after all, are important to us all. They renew us. They open our eyes to something new and extraordinary. They're vital to our sense of place.
In the hands of a good innkeeper, even the grumpiest of guests will have a perfect stay, every time. They'll find the perfect jazz spot, the perfect hike, the perfect little cafe that just opened with the fabulous chef.
A good innkeeper will know that the grumpiness may have stemmed from driving a torturous stretch of Highway One in the fog. Or just driving too long.
Or maybe it's just proof that the break they're taking here was really, really needed.
Whatever it is, it will pass.
All they need to recover is a kind heart and an open spirit to welcome them. Someone to let them know they're finally home, even if just for a few days. Works just about every time.
Okay. Cookies help, too.
The chance to be a part of someone's dream, something they'll remember for years and years?
That's innkeeping.
All those long hours, those missed holidays, the lack of privacy.
Oh yeah, there's that. But in the end, it's all worth it.
Because for every grumpy guest who arrives, there's a refreshed and renewed new friend who leaves, vowing to return again and again.
The real blessings, good innkeepers know, are in the transformations.
