Traveling for work can=traveling home

One of the perks of working in an office that used to be in Salt Lake and still services that area: getting to visit "on business". The last weekend in January, I went with my boss Paula to Salt Lake for the Morris Murdock Travel Show at the Sandy Expo Center. Way too many proper nouns, but there you go. It's an odd thing to fly for about 5 minutes and be home, but be at the airport, then rent a car and settle back in Sandy...at the Hampton Inn. We stayed in the Auto Mall complex just across from South Towne mall.

I jokingly offered a few times that I could sleep at my parents' house...but really, it seemed ridiculous. I will say the Hampton Inn provided unlimited hot chocolate, so I was able to seemingly keep up with my boss's insatiable coffee habit, and their workout room provided much needed alone time and fitness all in the same go.

The day we got into town, we had a travel show, so I wasn't able to see family, but we had an open house where I saw quite a few travel agents I'd worked with in the past, so it was a lot of fun to visit with them. (side note: before the show, I had the opportunity to visit my very first liquor store...in my home state. It was a special, seedy moment) The next morning I met up with Ruth, Vince, Bella and Mom. And because Jim is omnipresent, he showed up as well. :) We went to Hagermann's for their (rightfully so) famous french toast and had a nice visit. We took a jaunt to Wal*Mart and saw this:

The irony was almost enough to make me forget that I had to get along to work...it wasn't incredibly taxing, but again, it seemed wrong for me to be working when there was a family to visit and grocery shopping to do. It was a long day, but it was over soon enough, and that evening I found myself at McGrath's with a group of people that included the director of the Mexico Tourist Board. For the record, he asked me if I was British. I asked him why he thought so and he explained because of how I talk. It's a new one, but I somehow turned it into a compliment, if an undeserved one.

The next morning I had an early breakfast with Tom, Stacey and the croupy Grey. I was sick over this weekend, so I felt like it was okay to be around fellow sickies (Bella was also sick). We had a lovely breakfast at Paradise Bakery and I briefly made Grey happy by pulling out an oldish cookie (like a day) from my purse ( I took it from the front desk at the hotel and decided against eating it). Breakfast was over too quickly and I again was whisked back to the Expo Center. Thankfully the second day seemed to be a bit more tolerable...if only because I knew we'd be heading home soon...and maybe also because of this:

Once the show was done, we made our way to the airport way too early, had some "express" California Pizza Kitchen and I made my way through a good portion of "Reading Lolita in Tehran".

It was great to fit in a few visits with family, but most of the time, I felt homesick yet comfortable all at the same time. I guess that's fair, considering that is how I tend to feel when I'm home in Vegas too.

Viva Las Salt Lake!