So if you follow me on Snapchat, you’re well aware of Laptop Gate. As I wrote on FBD, I attended Sheen Magazine’s Legendary Weekend, and was graciously accommodated at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis.
I updated Fashion Bomb Daily and The Bomb Life on Saturday morning from my hotel room, and energetically documented it all via Snapchat. I left my room to grab brunch and visit family, and came back to a laptop covered in liquid. Though it could turn on, the keys were rendering symbols, and my laptop was basically dead. Phone calls to Troy Gonsalves, Debra Carson, Roc Mutawassim, and an elusive man named ‘Elan‘ at Marriott corporate only resulted in a claim number (577913) but no retribution. Not even a sorry. I was lucky (?) enough to stay at the Marriott in Cambridge, and attempted to prepare a presentation down in the computer lab; the computers froze and shut down every time I tried to add images to my powerpoint presentation.
Years ago, this would have been cause for MAJOR Panic and severe distress (though I was quite distressed, let’s be honest). But this go round, I was able to take it all in stride. Here are 5 things I learned during my week offline:
1. Most of our readers are on Instagram and Facebook
I knew this a long time ago, but most of our readers have migrated over to IG and Facebook. It’s not just Fashion Bomb Daily readers. It’s everyone!! People used to clamor to visit different websites, and now a glance and a double tap is all it takes to get an update. So, even though my Laptop was Out of Order, I was still able to ‘blog’ from my smartphone. It all worked out.
2. The Fashion Bomb Team is More Than Capable of Handling the Task
Something I didn’t mention in my week rewind: My laptop outtage happened two days before the Met Gala, which is basically the World Summit of Style. All of our favorite celebs hit the red carpet in a litany of looks-– and THEN there were after parties!! The whole team pitched in to make sure the carpet was totally covered for social media and the site, which meant I could focus on being on point to interview Kevin Hart and his stylist Ashley North in LA.
Though I felt somewhat powerless, I reasoned that this was the life I wanted to lead. My goal is to have FBD run without my oversight so that I can pursue more creative projects. I was forced to do so. Thanks, Marriott, for showing me that the life of my dream is there if I just let go.
3. Blogging and Writing is like a muscle that must be exercised. If you don’t use it, you lose it.
If you don’t make an effort to update frequently, all can be lost and you lose hope. Practice makes perfect, so if you want to get better at anything, do it consistently.
4. Marriott Sucks, but that’s ok.
Before I lay into a whole hotel chain, I will say that I’ve stayed at Marriotts before with no incident. And even though I had computer issues at the business center at the Marriott in Cambridge, over all, the hotel was very nice. That said, my laptop situation was handled poorly, and it’s a shame that someone (might) need a platform and to put them on blast for them to do the right thing. One young man named Elan said their policy was not to cover items damaged in the hotel room. But if I put my stiletto through a TV at a Marriott, I’m sure someone would charge me, no? It just doesn’t add up, does it?
That said, The Bomb Life, the life I want to lead, is all about luxury. Four Seasons, St. Regis, Ritz Carlton, you get the idea. Sometimes you get what you pay for when you cut costs. Moving forward, I’m only staying with the best.
5. I love to write
Even though I’m sure very few of you missed my musings on this site or on FBD, I realized that I missed it. Writing is my therapy. It is my voice. It is my everything. And that’s why I have two blogs and a book. When I don’t have my virtual pen and paper (keyboard and monitor), I suffer withdrawal. Know thyself, right?
But now that I have the realization that I don’t need to bend myself in a pretzel to update Fashion Bomb Daily, I will allow myself to relax just a little bit. I now understand that the world will not explode if there is no Bombshell or Bomb Product of the Day. We have other outlets (social media) and options. Everything is gonna be alright. Just breathe!
But that said, I hope that this shows two things: 1. Stand up for yourself and what’s right and use every tool at your disposal to get justice. And 2. Even if something continues to go terribly wrong, know that it is not the end of the world. You will live to see (and blog) another day.
Love & Light,
