When I finished my hospitality diploma program at the Canadian Tourism College in Surrey, it was time to look for a job. I was open to moving anywhere in the country and looked all over for the perfect place to work. That’s when I saw Abigail’s Hotel. It caught my eye with one little picture.
Ain’t she purdy? So I sent my resume to them after looking at their website and learning that they were a boutique hotel. Totally my speed. A couple days later I was called and invited in for an interview, so my mom and I hopped on the ferry for a day in Victoria. This was only my second time in the city (the first being a field trip as part of my course). During the interview I remember being told that they still had a few people to interview, but that I sounded like a good fit. Hooray!
The next week I was called and offered the position to start as soon as I could get there. It ended up being a couple weeks because I had to find a place to live and I had tickets for a Rascal Flatts concert that I couldn’t just skip out on.
And that was how I became a Victoria resident. I found a place I wanted to work at, sent my resume, and that was that! I didn’t even know they were actually hiring. The funny part is that the guy whose position I took over returned just a few months later, and was a great coworker from whom I learned a lot and respected greatly.
I think God blessed me with this job. Looking at other people in the hospitality industry, they have completely different lifestyles than I do. If I worked at a larger property, like a Fairmont or something like that, it would have been hard to get to know people and make friends. But at Abigail’s, we were a little family. We had awesome Christmas parties, staff breakfasts every day prepared by the chef, the ladies threw me both a wedding and a baby shower. I could not have asked for more from a first career position. I love the hospitality industry and can’t wait to get back to it.
When I was pregnant, people always asked (and still do) if I was planning on going back after my year of maternity leave. In my heart I didn’t want to go back to work. Both Tim and I were blessed to have stay-at-home moms, and are hoping that I will be able to do the same. But at the same time, I knew that I might need to go back for a bit, possibly even just part time, until another child came or Tim found a full time position somewhere. Now I don’t really have to choose, because we are moving away, and there isn’t an Abigail’s in Edmonton. The great thing about it was that no matter what the outcome could have been, I am glad that I had such an awesome place to return to had I chosen to.
Thanks for the learning experiences and memories and all the opportunities to keep you guys organized!
We enjoyed one last breakfast at the hotel before headed East.
