Ok Blackberry - I know - you were probably expecting me to say booze, but that's so 2008 spring break haha. Aly had a Blackberry World conference at the Marriott World Center and I couldn't turn down 90 degree sun, so I booked a flight and joined her to work pool side.
The first day we stayed at The Marriott Springhills Suites. Sarah checked us in - she is probably the peppiest person I've ever met, even at like 6 in the morning. She even drew us a map to show us how to get to our room and called the second we got there to check in on us - definitely going to be my future wedding planner. After settling in we went on a mission to find dinner. We spent the night staring at a neon lit Golden Corral (it was across the street, and I'm assuming pretty classy with a limo parked outside and all) while sitting in a tiki lounge (Bahama Breeze) being serenaded by Bob Marley's twin while sipping on drink after drink. We toasted to our first night in, as well as our recent promotions. Somehow celebrating turned into making my wedding plans (a. i'm not even close to finding the right guy b. wedding plans are definitely better done sober) which included Bob Marley serenading us with Shaggy's Angel while I have my first dance with my future hubby (yeah, poor guy). So we headed back to our rooms to get a good night sleep to wake up in the morning and lounge poolside the rest of the day. At around four we checked into Marriott World Center and took a black town car to Seaworld to ride some roller coasters, admire the flamingos and head to dinner at a luau (do not discount Hawaiian traditions in Orlando - it was quite the experience).
The next day Aly had meetings all day for the conference, so I laid poolside and worked. She had a "party" until around 10 that night so I took my laptop to the lobby bar for a solo dinner and made friends with the bartender, who btw also lived in Chicago for awhile. So I'm not here to judge on techie guys (we were at a techie conference so they were EVERYWHERE) - but one did tell me I was "very dynamic." I don't know how to take that...but that was just the start of it. I did make a few techie friends, but then I turned around and right next to me was this cute, younger (comparatively), tan guy with board shorts, this glow around him and wind blowing through his hair (ok, so that's obviously exaggerated - no wind and no glow). He said hello and we instantly hit it off - I know, me with a techie? ha. Aly came back and talked to some people and Orlando boy took my BBM messenger information (how approps). Aly and I headed up to our room and Orlando boy and I started texting each other. We decided to go for a midnight stroll under the stars. We walked around the waterfalls then made our way to the golf course. We watched the stars - there might have been a stolen kiss or two, then headed back to our respectful hotel rooms. The next day I worked poolside again and Orlando boy came and said hi between meetings. After "work" we met up at the lobby bar for a few drinks and went out for a midnight dip in the pool. These rondevouzs happened every night for the extent of our stay and made for a great Orlando fling (that will stay in Orlando - this girl doesn't do long distance).
So now that I'm done drooling over Orlando Boy, it's time to tell you about Aly and my escapade in Celebration, FL. Celebration, FL is about a 15 minute drive from Orlando. We took a town car (Marriott's version of a taxi - unmarked black cars with no meters. However, don't be fooled - we're positive they make up fare prices). So apparently Celebration is a town that Disney built. It feels like the movie set right off of Stepford Wives. Everything is beautiful and perfect and you'd think that nothing could go wrong here. It's actually kind of eerie. Aly and I had dinner at Celebration Tavern and then got some ice cream. Then we called for our town car, but unfortunately she decided not to answer her phone. We were stranded. There was not a single taxi around and the lady at the Ice Cream parlor said the only way we could call for one was from the nearby hotel. Fortunately we had our trusty Blackberrys and found our confirmation email and called Marriott World for a car. After 30 minutes of walking around, we finally got picked up and made our way home. I'm not going to lie, the whole experience was like the beginning of a scary movie where people down the street suddenly turn into zombies and the heroines are trapped and have to fight for their lives. Aly still thought it was a perfect town, but I'm convinced it has secrets covered up behind closed doors and life there is full of twenty year olds married to fifty year old men and having little babies, with enough controversy to make it on daytime television. Aly was in denial for awhile, but her dreams were shattered when we found out that as perfect as Celebration might be, there was one murder a few years ago and one homeless guy who used to live there (scary right, and we call ourselves Chicagoans ha).
But yeah, long story short (ok that really wasn't that short - but I never asked you to read this!) we had an AMAZING time in Orlando, and now I can't wait for summer in Chicago to remind me why I don't just move to Florida. Till next time.
