Prelude to Furlough Day

Prelude - Furlough day - The back story of why I decided to share this blog of thoughts.

This blog is meant for me to find a sense of hope, reassurance, balance and to open up about the many faces I've worn over the years. I want this to be a transparent view into some parts of my life that need repairing, improvements, propping up or just a release to heal internally. If my transparency may help someone release their pain, insecurities or burdens of trying to live a life that is unstainable than my mission and purpose is complete.

I've always taken great pride in the work I've achieved in the Hospitality/Hotel Industry. Working over 20+ years in the industry I have formed many long-lasting friendships. My work has become part of my identity. From my early years with Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, to my short one year with Disney Destinations and to my current home/family of Marriott International...the years of sweat, tears, stress and successes are all woven into the Sales Professional and man that I am today. This journey over the years has seen so many ups and downs that I have lost track of them. During this journey I hope to be able to reflect and remember them and take you on a journey of who I am. I wanted to give a brief back story (to expand on later) of why I decided to write this blog and to share why I'm feeling this emotional strain that I feel today. As a single man with one source of income (full-time career with Marriott) I'm solely dependent on that income.

I was married for 4 years (2002-2006) to my college sweetheart that unfortunately was not part of my life's destiny. I learned many things about myself in that relationship. However, the marriage broke me financially to a level that took me years to recover and if I'm being honest, I never fully did. I kept the ‘Travis has it all together’ Mask on even when I had a chance to be transparent with myself.

Moving to Atlanta in 2007 during the mist of the separation/divorce I never adjusted my standard of living to match my new adjusted income. I found myself using an accountant from 2008-2012 that many of my friends used, that was, shall I say, not following the guidelines set by the IRS. This grave mistake of using this accountant in Atlanta would cause me a deep financial pain that I would not realize until 2018! Uncle Sam caught up with my ass and the incorrect filings by my accountant. Owing a total of roughly $80,000 in back taxes and penalties would prove to eventually be a mountain that was emotionally and financially impossible to Mask. But yet I still wore the Mask that Travis had it all together. The red sports car, the luxury apartment living, the shopping excursions, the picking up tabs at bars and restaurants, the trips, the looking like I had it together on social media. All those things were masking the unraveling of me behind closed doors.

Now we move into 2013-2018 my world started to get tight as I was financially supporting my ex-partner in varying ways while at the same time, I was robbing Peter to pay Paul. But I had this belief that if he were my husband or wife I wouldn't leave them stranded so I did what I could but it caused a financial avalanche that started another pile-up that was waiting to crash on me. My friends didn't know any of this while I lived in Arlington, VA in my luxury $2,000/month rental apartment under the weight of living paycheck to paycheck. Uncle Sam hit me with the audit and forced me into an installment payment plan in fall 2018 that caused a seismic jolt to my financial world. Yet I kept the Mask going that Travis had it all together. I was literally taking out payday loans for some months to make ends meet. (These loans are NOT your friend so DON'T DO IT)! More later on the negative consequences of this chapter.

The truth is, I've have been making 2-3 times what my parents made for a few years combined. I'm very proud of that and many don't like to share their income, but I have busted my ass to be the successful person I am in my career. Yet I was 6 feet under in the middle of the lake gasping for air every few minutes. 2019 was the start of a shift in my life that I could no longer run from or hide the problems I was facing with my friends and close family.

In the fall of 2019, the financial burden and strain became too vast and overbearing to contain further. I broke my lease in my luxury apartment that I loved and lived in for 6 years and made the decision to move in with my aunt in Fredericksburg, VA. The weekend that I was moving at the end of Oct, I decided to stay with my best friend at his home that Saturday night in SE, Washington, DC to rest before heading to Fredericksburg on Sunday morning. Around 1:30am we were awakened by a loud ass noise that sounded like a train wreck outside. My best friend minutes later yelled my name that my car had been hit. My baby that was paid off! My sports car of 12 years with no mechanical issues ever, was dead!

So much more to discuss before getting to the current "Furloughed back to Reality" of today. Bad loans that were not in my best interest and a loan on my 401k that was taken over a year ago. The weight of sharing my true, dirty, filthy and honest reality with my friends/family was so hard. Talking about or owning up to my bad or misguided decisions of the past was hard and still is to this day to discuss and fully own up too. I've always taken pride in myself "having" it all together even though I haven't for years. So, to have to be somewhat transparent in my time of need was emotionally draining and difficult. Most times I still wasn't completely honest because I wasn't ready to deal with the whole truth of my situation.

Now Corona-19 shows her ass up and causes a potential earthquake! Just as I was starting to pay things down/off and able to feel like I could breathe again. Thankful to my best friend for allowing me to stay with him gave me the ability to focus more on my financial issues. I begin to focus on them and put a plan to paper. My mom/dad has let me use one of their vehicles since Nov 2019 and still to this day. A car note is not something I need right now but will have too sooner than later. Corona-19 has caused such a global upheaval of the way we live that the beloved company I have called my place of work since 2010 has Furloughed your boy! 60-90 days with 1 day/week pay! Never in my 20+ years of working have I been fired, lay-ed off, or furloughed or reduced pay. This is one moment in my life that I feel WHAT THE ABSOLUTE HELL!!!!!! #Butthistooshallpass Now breathe………………………………….

April 4, 2020………So much more back story…To be continued