Corporate Vibing to Manchester

So, since I have decided I am a corporate hippie (for more please see my Linked In profile), I have realized my Vibing expeditions can fall into two categories - the corporate or the hippie. For the most part my Vibes are spread over weekends when I have my favorite hippie outfits on (for those who do not know, outfits completely define who I am - even The Mitch wears outfits!). But sometimes my Vibes are spread when Rachel Carter PR bounces away in the Vibe for an adventure of the corporate variety. Last week was the most perfect example of this so I MUST share!

Two of the most respected people in the Vermont travel scene - Carrie McDougall of Cultural Crossroads and the former Stowe Area's Association PR Queen, Jo Sabel Courtney recommended me to teach two social media workshops at the Vermont Travel Industry Conference held at The Equinox Resort last week. What a vibetastic experience! And thank you Carrie and Jo!!!

I raced through the week leading up to get all of my client work in a row so I could take the time to attend the conference (hence no recent blog posts). With final touches finished and a willing-to-come-back voice (I was at rock concerts over the weekend), I closed up my Vermont PR firm for the week and vibed down Route 7 to Manchester.

The first super groovy thing that happened was after emerging from Rutland, finding myself reverting back in time along Route 7. By the time I was deep in Mount Tabor, I started to feel those wonderful mountain vibes only felt when in a natural energy vortex and couldn't wait to tell The Mitch how we'd have to get down this way again and Vibe around. Before I could finish that thought I drove by Emerald Lake State Park - where The Mitch and I have already booked five days over the 4th of July for our first of many Vermont lakeside vacations (one per year). I won't talk about it anymore because it will most certainly be a fantastic blog post come July, but, man - was I excited!

It is rare that the Vibe gets way down to Southern Vermont, but when it does, I always love it - will I find myself living in Southern Vermont at some point? I always wonder if that will be in the cards. I gawked all along Route 7A until I parked the Vibe at its two night destination - The Equinox. Back in my earlier days as Vermont's PR Mama (before I could be considered a mama), the Woodstock Inn & Resort was a client and to this day I have a love like no other for the Woodstock area. I think I can actually credit that work on the true origins of Vermont Vibing - I was always looking for all of the story angles I could find to share with media folk I pitched on behalf of the Woodstock Inn. As Woodstock's friendly competition, I was fully aware of, yet had never visited The Equinox. Until last week.

Kudos to The Equinox. I wish now I snapped some pictures of my room (this is from the press room). I felt like I was in a movie (one of my most favorite feelings!) - I worked at the desk on the computer, slept so well in the king size bed with delightful turn-down service, LOVED the glass door shower and bathrobe, played make-up lady with the mirror selections, and marveled at a view of the courtyard as opposed to the parking lot. I was also into the lacquered decor look - definitely not my style under my normal hippie circumstances, but when I get to be a Vibing corporate hippie? Most definitely!

The conference itself was terrific and my workshops went great. I think my favorite part was just spending time with people in Vermont's travel industry. They are real, fun, and quite frankly, the type of folks who "get it." Rock on!! I felt renewed, rejuvenated, excited for summer, excited for work, and excited for new friends all after one conference. Now THAT is what I call success!

I spent an extra day heading further south into the Berkshires to have dinner with my father who I referenced multiple times in my presentations followed by lunch the next day with my grandmother. The return trip to Vermont was on the usual 91 to 89. I was wishing my route could have taken me back up Route 7, but I know that trek is waiting for me July 4th weekend. Plus, The Mitch was patiently waiting for his corporate hippie to return home to the Charlotte Farmhouse where I knew he was making me dinner. I Love You Mitch!

I way prefer Vibing than the 91 to 89 drive, but timing so had it that most of my drive was in gorgeous blue skies with high floating clouds and a sea of red and purple on the trees - just waiting for the cold weather to diminish so they can snap into the most glorious foliage on the Earth (springtime in Vermont that is). I was again filled with elated feelings from the experience of the Vermont Travel Industry Conference, spirited tunes on the IPod, and a car ride to myself filled with reflection, compassion, and promise. And then the sun started to set. Besides two irritatingly irritating rednecks who threw three beer cans out in front of me (between exits 8 and 9), I was completely zen - something I am usually only able to experience hiking and gardening. And then I started snapping pictures. I went slow and when the cars would pass I would get real slow and shoot and then speed back up again. I know that is sort of bad, but it was also sort of sneaky (which is more fun than bad), and well, just perfect. Here are the results:









Thanks to all who helped create and manifest the experiences of last week and can't wait to see some of my new friends again soon!