Frequently flying...

Frequent flyer miles apparently are good for something other than…well, flying. A while back, I got some promotional thing in the mail, which allowed me to exchange my frequent flyer miles for magazine subscriptions. I know you’re thinking… but you like to travel, why would you get magazines? Well, because the miles had been accrued on airlines like United and Continental… airlines, which don’t top my list of favorite airlines. In fact… United is no longer considered an option due to that little “drop me off at the Ontario Airport instead of the Orange County one at 1:30 in the morning…and not provide me with ground transportation to the airport which I paid to travel through” incident. I digress…

So the deal was, exchange my miles for magazines. I had accrued maybe like 4,000 miles, which made me a little more than 20,000 miles short of that illusive free round-trip flight. I’m in, I thought. I travel quite a bit you see, so magazines…they’re actually quite useful to me. Particularly, free magazines.

Now, before you all get excited, let me first tell you magazines like People, would cost me like 4,000 miles…ones like Newsweek were more around the 600 miles range. I diversified and submitted my request. That was months ago – and most of these magazines don’t actually get opened – mostly because I’m too busy with things like the Internet and DVR’d episodes of the Real Housewives and other things equally academically stimulating. So off to the recycling container they go – so my free time can be spent ruminating about how these women can tolerate so much drama in their lives.

I’m happy to report that 8 different issues of 5 different magazines are with me en route to Washington DC today. I got some good tips and suggestions from Money magazine…but as I read through Sunset and Travel + Leisure, I began to feel this feeling of gratitude sweep over me. No, it wasn’t my astute reading capabilities that had me feeling grateful as I flipped through the pages; I came to realize how lucky I am. Lucky because I’ve seen so many of the places that are pictured in these pages. Lucky fond memories of each instantly came to mind. Lucky to have had the opportunity to visit these places. Lucky to have experienced their people and their culture. Lucky to have the drive and inspiration to visit so many more.

Of the 100 best hotels in the WORLD, I have stayed at two of them – one in my former backyard, Laguna Beach and the other on the other side of the world in Cape Town, South Africa. Of the seven continents, I’ve slept in and explored four. While my list of places I’d like to visit grows almost daily…I sit on the Southwest flight to my 4^th trip to our Nations Capital, Washington D.C filled with gratitude for the places I’ve been, cultures I’ve experienced and architecture which I’ve taken countless pictures of. I know that travel is something so rooted in who I am. Because of my countless flights here, there and everywhere….I am rewarded with more magazines I can possibly read in a month’s time AND my world grows, while I realize how small I really am.

Now, who wants to go to Bora Bore or Kenya with me??