One Fantastic September Day in 1999

I wanted so desperately to tell the story to my co-workers immediately. My heart was still racing with excitement, and I could hardly contain myself. I had rushed back from the airport just in time to make my 8:30 am Tuesday morning weekly marketing meeting, and I grabbed my notes and pretended to be completely engaged. But my mind was engaged elsewhere.....

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It was a 24 hours unlike any other I had experienced before.

Just a week before, I had gone across the street to interview with an accounting firm for a marketing position I knew very little about. I only knew that a few other friends had worked at this firm, a place that would signal that I had "arrived" in my career (as though we "arrive" in our mid-twenties, right?)

Only days after the interview, I was asked to fly out to LA to interview with 3 partners and to meet with the Operations Manager who was based in LA. I was excited to do so, but I knew I didn't have any days left to take off from my current job, so this is where is got really crazy:

I took off mid-afternoon from my current job and raced fast and furiously from downtown Houston to IAH. I caught a direct flight to LAX and then took a cab out to my first interview...an interview unlike any I had ever had before, and a day of interviewing that would soon become legendary among my future colleagues.

~~

It was so liberating to fly with just a briefcase. I used Matt's black leather briefcase and didn't even carry a separate purse. I wore the black and white hounds tooth Neiman Marcus suit jacket my mother had purchased for me a few years earlier. It still looked smashing, and I was certain would be perfect for this occasion.

As I arrived at LAX, I asked the cab to take me to Shutters on the Beach. The reaction back from the cabbie was something like, "Ooooh!" (as in wow, very nice!)

As I walked into the lobby, I was immediately greeted by the partner I had interviewed with in Houston. He had just returned from a run on the beach and was dripping from head to toe in sweat. After a brief greeting, he called the other partner on his silver bullet-shaped cell phone which seemed so "new age" at the time. Hey, this was 9 years ago!

I sat out on the outside deck at Shutters on The Beach (a boutique hotel near Malibu, known as one of the leading hotels in the world) and watched as people roller bladed past with their dogs running in front. Everyone looked so tan and beautiful -- it was indeed my first glimpse of Malibu.

Soon I was joined by the US Managing Partner for the division with whom I was interviewing. He ordered us each a glass of wine, which I slipped only slowly, as I wanted to take in all that he was saying and all that he was expecting from this role of Marketing Coordinator. Our interview was more of a visit, with a glimpse of his strategic plans for the group. His 25+ years working with the firm and his excellent people skills made me in awe of his attention to even something so seemingly "small" as the marketing support for the group. It was as though to him I already had the job.

After our visit, and feeling like I had a mini vacation from the doldrums of my life back in Houston, I met up with the now freshly showered Houston partner and the partner with whom I had just interviewed. We headed over to the world renowned Matsuhisa Japanese restaurant. It was a meal unlike any other, which was fitting for a day unlike any other.

We arrived at Matsuhisa after a dazzling drive past some of the ritziest stores in the world. The restaurant was located in Beverly Hills/Hollywood, and I was trying so hard not to appear star struck. Our group of three was soon joined by the division's operations manager, as well as a senior partner for the group. We sat in the small dining room with a table looking right at, you guessed it, some stars!

OK, so I'm suppose to be interviewing and I have to sit facing less than 10 feet all night from Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick, and their kids? Someone pinch me because I think I'm dreaming! Fortunately the partners were star struck, as well (not to mention one of the partners looks like Big in Sex and the City, which is weird, but oh so true!). We all practically had to keep one of the partners faced my direction so he wouldn't draw too much attention to himself.

Oh, and over the previous weekend, John Lithgow had won a Golden Globe for Best Actor for Third Rock From the Sun. And he was at another nearby table celebrating the victory with friends and family.

And then in the far right corner of the restaurant we have Ms. Sturm, who is interviewing for a marketing position while trying to keep her gut intact because she has never had sushi before. Ever.

Yep, that's right! As a proud West Texas gal, I had never had sushi before (we cook our fish where I come from!), and we were about to have a 10 course chef's choice meal with lots of uncooked delicacies. I didn't even know what much of it was, though the waiter tried to explain. Lots of items served in funny pots and dishes, and I'm sure I should have been overly impressed. And to top it all off, we added to the meal some Japanese Beer. Again, I'm no beer drinker, but I took a few sips following the whole "when in Rome" notion.

Our last course was uncooked eel. I just couldn't do it! And in a moment of weakness, one of the partners asked if he could have my eel (which I later learned was so much like him to ask), and I gladly offered. Besides, we were all getting full from the 9 other courses, right?

It was nearing 10:30 pm LA time, so the operations manager took me back to LAX. I had a red-eye flight to catch back to Houston, as I had a weekly marketing meeting with my team that I just couldn't miss. Funny how at that age I just didn't think I could miss a day of work. It was the goody two-shoes in me coming out, I'm sure!

When I returned to Houston, I was still wearing the same clothes I had on at work the day before. I had been a busy gal with no chance to change. Unlike Sarah Jessica, I had no entourage to help me with a costume change! So you'll love this one: after an evening at one of the hippest hotels and the ritziest eateries, I dashed into the Jack-in-the-Box near the airport and changed into a new business suit.

And from there I headed into the office, though my mind was 2,000 miles away. Could they tell? Did I seem happier or almost giddy? Was my life about to change? Was God in this and did He just blow me away by showing me a glimpse of what lay ahead?

I'm not sure about my poker face, but I do know I was floating on cloud nine. At that moment I thought I could conquer the world. And there was no one at work I could tell about this experience. Oh I just knew they would love to hear about the hotel, and even my dining room guests. They would have just loved this story.

~~
And as my son is upstairs asleep and I look at the pile of toys I need to pick up, it's with joy that I tell you all of this since I am now in my new career as a Mom. Yes, I've waited almost nine years to tell you. I didn't even think I could tell you when I was leaving, for some reason I can now no longer recall,

And now you know the rest of the story.