More Than Meets the Eye

Our first clue was the last thirty miles as we approached our getaway destination. It looked absolutely desolate, not even a gas station in site. We pulled into our hotel parking lot and just looked at each other. The parking lot was full of contractors' pickup trucks. Hmmm. And the room was just as disappointing, lacking in cleanliness. (And this was a major chain hotel, not your little independent dive).

My husband and I both put our game faces on and decided to make the best of it. We picked a little place for dinner called Biscotti's. And it was everything we hoped for - a cute little Italian restaurant with paintings of happy chefs decorating the walls, candlelight, and soft romantic music playing. The owner took the time to chat with us and give us the lowdown on the local area. She told us where the best beaches were, where the best view of the lake was, and, when we told her where we were staying, mentioned a few other hotels we should try.

The next morning I woke up early and made some calls and found a room in a different hotel. Wow, what a difference! (Okay, the in-room jacuzzi helped a lot!) Suddenly the place didn't seem so desolate, and we were on our way to a great weekend.

Sometimes when we first start a job or move to a new community or meet new people, things look pretty bleak. Our natural reaction is to resist our new surroundings. But if we hang in there, we often find the best memories are to be had when the situation starts out kind of rough. If we can be patient, we may be pleasantly surprised to find there's more than meets the eye.