It was supposed to be just another mundane business trip. I had checked into the hotel the night before, prepped my presentation, and crawled into bed, dreaming of the standing ovation I’d probably never get. The morning was uneventful… shower, get dressed, the whole shebang… until I heard a faint thud outside my hotel room. Peeking through the peephole, I spotted what looked like a care package two doors down. Dave’s not his real name idea of a joke, I thought. He'd mentioned leaving my event passes in a "secure" spot.

Clad only in my white, fluffy hotel towel (the one that’s generously sized but not quite generous enough), I stepped out, the door clicking shut behind me. I should have known better. The moment that latch clicked, a sinking feeling hit. Yes, in my rush to grab what I wrongly assumed was my package, I had locked myself out.

Heart pounding, I grabbed the package, which thankfully had my name on it. Right item, wrong door. Great. With my room access key inside my room, alongside my dignity, I faced the ultimate walk of shame: a parade down to the lobby…..

As I tiptoed along the hallway, every sound seemed amplified. Doors opened and closed in the distance, and I prayed to the hotel gods that I wouldn’t bump into anyone I knew or anyone at all, for that matter.

The elevator ride down was excruciatingly slow. I stood in the corner, my grip on the towel tightening with each ding. Finally, the lobby doors opened, and there I was, the center of attention in all my terrycloth glory.

The lobby wasn’t busy, thankfully, but the few souls present seemed to find my predicament more entertaining than the complimentary breakfast. I shuffled to the front desk, avoiding eye contact.

The man behind the counter did a double-take but recovered quickly. “Rough morning?” he asked, a barely contained smirk on his face.

“You could say that,” I replied, trying to muster up a laugh.

He handed me a new key card with the efficiency of someone who’d dealt with similar situations far too often. “You’re all set. Maybe hold onto this one,” he suggested…. Funny guy..

Key card in hand, I made the return journey to my room, this time with less panic but equal embarrassment. Once safely inside, I dressed, gathered my courage, and headed to my conference, ready to face the world or at least my coworkers with a story that would surely earn me that ovation, albeit for reasons I hadn’t quite anticipated…. I’ve always wanted to do a risky walk like that but never had the courage and now I was forced to do it…. I kinda liked it.