Traveling for pleasure is glamorous.  Traveling for work is exhausting.

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Does anyone disagree?

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But when you work for Noble Publishing Superpower, they interject really cool and novel “stuff” into your day to combat the fatigue and pump you up.  Smart, aren’t they?

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The first day of our Summer Sales Conference wasn’t applicable to my division, so a couple of colleagues and I flew in together on Monday afternoon.  After checking in, we stood in the lobby comparing room floor notes.

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I heard a familiar sound that I hadn’t heard live in YEARS.  An ethereal, mystical sound that takes me to another time, another place, another world.
I audibly gasped.  (Yes, I do this almost on a daily basis – o.k. a daily basis – which is why I continually overuse this phrase in blog posts. Sorry, folks.)

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I gasped again.

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I’ll throw you a couple of hints:  Scotland.  Kilts.

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Are you with me?

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BAGPIPES!

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Take.  My.  Breath.  Away.

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Since I was a wee lass, I have been enchanted by the sound of bagpipes.  When I hear them, I am spell-bound.

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I ran to the window of the hotel with my perplexed colleagues in tow.  I thought maybe a parade was about to pass by.  We were in downtown Chicago, so it was possible, I guess.

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“LISTEN!!!  DO YOU HEAR THEM???”  (How could they NOT hear them?  They’re bagpipes for heaven’s sake.  They’re incredibly loud.)

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More gasping.

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“THEY’RE BAGPIPES!!!”  (Duh.)  “I LOVE BAGPIPES!!!”

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“Yes, so do we, Michelle.”

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“WHERE ARE THEY???  WE MUST FIND THEM!!!”

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Fortunately, we have a new male team member who wasn’t lost in emotion over the bagpipes.  He offered, “It sounds as though they might be coming from upstairs.  Let’s go check it out.”

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I nearly rolled over New Male Team Member and Britt with my suitcase and computer bag in a mad dash for the elevator.  We arrived at the second floor and headed towards the sound.  We noticed that they were performing on a stage in one of the ballrooms.  Outside the room, the name of Noble Publishing Superpower graced a poster on an easel.

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I pushed my luggage up against a wall and sprinted into the ballroom while armed with my camera.  Mr. New Male Team Member and Britt followed.

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I snapped photos for my improvised and surprise blog activity.

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Thankfully, I remembered that my phone has video.  Pictures of bagpipes can’t compare to <em>that sound.</em>

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<iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GVykwy7jD74" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

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Our fearless leader with the cool and novel ideas announced the men behind the bagpipes:  the Chicago PD.

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This made a gasping sap like me tear up with respect and reverence.

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Going into Day 288, Mr. New Male Team Member was interested in how I was going to manage squeezing a soul-scintillating activity into a crowded business travel day.

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I explained that I was just going to have to let Chicago unfold before me.  It’s CHICAGO!  Surely, something is bound to happen.

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Or as <a href="https://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?cl=121586&amp;c=ib&amp;aff=175709" target="ejejcsingle"><strong>Mondo Beyondo</strong></a> reminds me, leave room in life for mystery and surprise.

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I couldn't have picked a more captivating surprise.