Blog: From Della - Blog Chicago

"Do you want to go with me to Chicago for the March buying trip?" Jan asked me. "Sure." I said, I think out loud. I've been on buying trips with Jan before, well actually it's been awhile, before my son, Alex, was born, and he is now 11. I was younger and sturdier then, but still Jan, my senior, by just a few years, could run circles around me. Nothing has changed. We started early Saturday morning, flying into Chicago to take on the apparel mart. We ran thru the airport, onto the train, and rode into the city.   . Faces on and off the train, we held our luggage close, and laughed into the adventure we were about to embark upon. Jumping off the train and straight for the show, we check our luggage and began the search for perfect tunic, pant, handbag, sock, and look for our ever surprised and mostly delighted customer. It was a swirl of rows of fashion. Some slick and youthful, some lumpy and dumpy, some just exactly right and ripe for the plucking. We smiled and greeted and inquired. We sat for hours and watched 27 shades of a v-neck tank top, matching pant and coordinating jacket make it's way in front of us. We frowned and shook our heads as well as saying, "yes, that is it."   " We took in all the stimulus and somehow put orders on paper. It was fast and furious, and dare I say, "fun."

A side note to this experience, or maybe an equal part of this experience is, I don't travel well. I become OCD and have to find and touch my airline ticket or deodorant container multiple times. I worry. Something about having no control and time constraints puts my mind in a circular mode. I stress. So I began this trip arriving at the airport 2 hours early, 5:30 a.m., to make sure I was there an hour early. What? Exactly. We arrived in Chicago and made our way into a winding series of tunnels toward the train. Acting as cool as I could, I follow Jan onto the train into the city. The doors open and close at the speed of light, a garbled announcement, "doors are closing." I knew when I left the show, to travel back to Kansas City, I would be alone. I knew I had to ride the train, and get myself to the airport. I sat there rattling and swaying, intently gazing at the map above the door. The red line, the brown line, the orange line…how about the airport line? No such luck. On the way back, much to my delight, I easily navigated the train system and made it back to Midway. As I stood in line for security, hundreds of spring breakers and families with 12 children, all in strollers, I saw a lone sign. It said, sorry, not exact wording, "due to federal law blah blah blah, snow globes are no longer allowed on any carry-on luggage." I watched businessmen de-shoe and unload pockets, and sippy cups being poured out into the trash. A young girl coming from a wedding, gingerly carrying a beautiful bouquet was asked to let the white gloved officer examine the flowers, he spent little time being careful of its fragile-ness. But snow globes? Really? Our fate may suffer from a souvenir bought in the windy city. I like snow globes, but now they are criminal. A deadly weapon, a terrorist's best friend, the snow globe.

My job is lovely. I get perks and the chance to do and see many things. I feel blessed, and I say that not loosely but with heart. The experience of travel may not make me comfortable but it allows me the opportunity to broaden my scope. All our scopes should be broadened. It was a good trip, it was good for World's Window and it was good for me. Although I am sad to say, I didn't bring home a snow globe, and neither did anyone else.