By The Wayside

Ever have the opportunity to thank someone that inspired you to make a big change in your life? This past week, I had such an opportunity.

I was in the DC area for training and I had two interesting moments of looking back at my past through a lens.

The first of those moments was when I pulled off the interstate at the exit of the town I grew up in. I had no plans. I didn't know where I was going. I didn't remember my exact address since I was only 7 when we moved, so this was going to be one of those adventures of getting lost. Don't you just love those!? It's my favorite kind of trip. Anyway, after about 15 minutes of wrong turns, I found the house I grew up in. Absolutely surreal. Sometimes I think our past plays in our head like some movie we once watched ... but this type of moment validates that "yes, it really happened. I really did live here!"

My second moment was visiting the bed & breakfast that inspired Brian and I to become Innkeepers. It's the Wayside Inn, in Ellicot City, Maryland. David's hospitality was the inspiration for me to get out of the corporate world, trade-in my high heels for flip flops, and get into tourism and entertainment.

The Wayside Inn is over 200 years old, which appeals to my inner-history buff. I pretty much just stand there silently in awe. There is a tree on the property that has been there since the Declaration of Independence was signed and local lore states that famous guests included General George Washington and John Quincy Adams. The exterior brick is 22" think solid granite, enveloping modern renovations and amenities sophisticatedly done with comfort in mind.

David's finesse made being an Innkeeper look so easy! And as I have learned later from operating our own lodging establishment, that is not always so. But even on the days where it seems like we're working really hard, the perks more than make up for it. I'm definitely enjoying this chapter of my life of Innkeeping.

--Rachelle
Tremain Street Cottages